Cop an Attitude
by Ms. Belikov
Summary: ALL HUMAN! She's the main suspect in a Murder case. He's the hard-ass Cop. After arresting & interrogating Rose, Dimitri is forced to release the Criminal, putting the case in danger of turning cold. With no options left, he strikes an unusual bargain.
1. Chapter 1: Arrested

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

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><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

Someone was following me.

As I crossed Third Street and headed for Avery's studio apartment, the paranoia weighed heavy in my chest. The headlights illuminating from behind flickered off and the sleek black escalade eased off the road and parked its shiny ass across the way, which didn't help ease my suspicions either.

But then again, it shouldn't have surprised me that I was being tailed. Mason had been murdered last week, shot in his sleep, a bloody pillow covered his sickly gray-colored face, crimson feathers exploded all over our bedroom. Naturally, the police would put me at the top of their list, the sketchy, troublemaking girlfriend becoming number one suspect.

It was such a shame that I hadn't done it, considering how many times the thought had run through my mind while we'd been together. Truth was, I'd never have the balls to do it. Sure, I had a hot temper, jumped into situations without much thought, and was notoriously known for starting a fight whenever I could…but killing my boyfriend in cold blood? Not my cup of tea.

When I glanced back over my shoulder for the hundredth time, the snow and fog was too heavy to give me a clear visual on the nark in the black vehicle. However, it was evident that he was a male. And he was watching me closely.

Cursing and balling my hands into fists until my nails sliced my skin, forming little red crescents, I pounded on Avery's door and forced myself not to turn around and confront that dickhead.

"Hey," Avery smiled dazedly, eyes glassy, thanks to the X she had no doubt taken just minutes ago. "Come in. Come in. I'm baking brownies."

"Are they the special kind?"

"Your favorite."

"Yum. You're a Goddess." Maybe this day was shaping up after all…

**DPOV:**

I stared at the closed door Rosemarie Hathaway had just gone through. Knowing that it was going to be some time before she came out again, I cranked the heat and pulled out my suspect's folder from the glove box.

Opening it up, I took a solid moment to study the female's face. She was beautiful, no doubt about that. Long, deep mahogany hair. Dark eyes. Exotic features and bone structure. Young, too. But I was here to do a job, so her looks were irrelevant.

As a part-time homicide detective and full-time police officer, I was trained not to get emotionally attached or attracted to the people I was dealing with. By now, I was used to fallen women throwing themselves at me in hopes of not getting arrested or receiving a lesser sentence. Mostly, it never affected me. Business was business, and pleasure was pleasure. You had to draw the line somewhere.

Flipping her picture over, I moved to the more important information.

Parents were dead—OD'd. Spent her whole life in and out of foster homes. And to top it all off, Rosemarie had a pretty thick criminal history. Multiple DUI's. Breaking and entering. Assault with a deadly weapon. Countless drug charges.

Basically, the girl wasn't just bad. She was toxic. A loose cannon too, according to the cops that had experience in arresting and handling her, whom she'd given a really hard time—spitting in ones face, kicking the groin of another.

I had to smile. My main suspect was brave. She was going to be a challenge. And in my line of work, I loved challenges.

All of that set aside, I knew I was going to have to keep my guard up on this one. Hathaway was unpredictable. Which meant she was perfectly capable of committing murder. There was good reason my team and I had put her at the top of the suspect list. The victim, Mason Ashford, had been her boyfriend. Word around town was, they didn't have the most healthy relationship. Violence, drugs, and partying were what they were about. Or had been about, so it was. I was positive she was still living that risky lifestyle, even though her boyfriend had just been buried six feet underground two days ago.

My mission was to keep an eye on Rosemarie, not advance on her yet. However, instinct told me that I was going to be breaking many rules for this teenager.

**RPOV:**

"Mind if I crash here tonight?" I asked, plopping down in to the worn out couch. "Jenny and Fred don't want me back at their house."

"Well, you did run away what...like _three_ times?" Avery murmured, eye lids dropping. She was beginning to nod off, the drugs having just set in her system.

"Four, and that's beside the point." I said. "Look, if you don't want me here, I understand-"

"Shut the hell up, brat." she smiled stupidly. "You know I love you. You're my girl. Stay here as long as you need."

"Thanks," I said, relief singing in my veins. "But it's just until I can get on my feet. Tomorrow, I'm gonna apply for a job at that frozen yogurt shop down the street. Then after that? I'm out of here."

"All right. Just make sure pay me back in treats. Or at the very least, gimme a ten percent discount."

"Will do, boss." I grinned, turning on the small T.V. and flicking through the few channels Avery had. I stopped at _The Office._

"I love this show," Avery noted, fighting to stay awake.

"Me, too." This was the episode where Michael burned his foot on the grill-

A pair of loud shouts had our heads cranking towards the left.

Running to the window, I moved the pale blue curtains aside and peeked outside, squinting around the heavy black bars. "Shit." I muttered, booking it for the door and ripping it open. "Stop it!"

Ambrose was there, holding Tasha by her long raven locks. She cried out when he yanked on the glossy tresses, craning her neck at an unnatural angle. When he spotted me, his lips peeled back in a sneer. "There's the star of the show,"

"I'm so sorry, Rose!" Tasha's ice-blue eyes were frantic and filled with tears, mascara running down her cheeks. "I swear...I tried not to. But he said that he would kill me if I didn't bring him to you-"

"Shut up, bitch." Ambrose snarled, giving a good tug on her hair again. The pain on her face broke my heart. I never wanted to see that on a friend again.

"It's okay, baby girl." I smiled at her, in spite of the fact that my blood was racing with terror. "There's nothing to forgive. You did what you had to do."

With a nasty jerk of his arm, Ambrose released Tasha and shoved her to the ground. She fell to her knees, undoubtedly getting deep scrapes from the gravel on the Apartment complexes' entrance.

Ambrose advanced on me, getting all up in my face. I tried to keep my cool, but it was a little intimidating glaring up at his six-foot-four frame.

"I know you killed my brother," he shouted, malice playing in his black eyes.

"I didn't touch Mason."

"Not what he said," Ambrose wrapped his fingers around my throat. "According to him, it wasn't unusual for you two to beat the shit out of each other."

"Hmmm. Is that so." Distantly, I was aware of Avery approaching us, a frying pan squeezed tightly between her palms. I had to stifle my laugh. It was a sight to behold.

"Are you calling him a liar?" That grip tightened on my throat until I gasped.

"That's exactly...what...I'm saying." I said with a lot of _duh._

Just as I had expected, Ambrose hissed, lifted me off the ground, and slammed me against the concrete wall of the studio apartment. As stars and white flashes swam in my vision, Avery screamed, "Dunk!"

The frying pan swung and connected with the back of Mason's brother's skull. He stumbled back, tongue hanging out of his mouth, eyes dazed.

My fist sailed through the air and cracked his jaw back. A second later, he was flat on the gravel.

"You son of a bitch!" Placing a cherry on the top of the chocolate sundae, Tasha ran up and kicked him in the groin area.

The pain knocked him out cold.

"Now that's how you handle business." I made a show of dusting off my hands. "Take note."

"That was...awesome." Tasha beamed.

"I'm tired," Avery yawned, rolled her shoulders, then headed back inside.

Bending down, I searched his pockets. Found a 9mm Berretta, which told me exactly what Ambrose had been planning to do when he hunted me down.

Strange thing was, I couldn't find it in me to be angry with him. Scared for my life? Yes. But not mad. People weren't always fully there in the brain when they lost someone they loved dearly. I knew exactly what he was going through. I missed my mother Janine dearly. Still, I shoved the firearm into my pants and concealed the weapon with my shirt. I was safe, for now. Although it was tempting when I saw the green in his wallet, I left the money and stuffed the wallet back in his jean's pocket. "I still don't know why you stay with this fool..."

"You know why," Tasha said.

Yeah, I did. She'd been sold to his family when she was in her early teens. Her father had a little...repaying to do. And figured, what the hell? Why not just give my daughter up.

At least, that's how I assumed the situation to go down.

"One more year," she rubbed the makeup from under her eyes. "And then I'm free."

"Help me drag him inside, will ya?" As we grunted and pulled the heavy, unconscious weight into the apartment, I said, "I can help you escape."

Tasha automatically shook her head. "No. No, that's fine. I'll figure it out-"

"You're in love with him, aren't you." Rubbing my sore lower back, I limped over and shut the door.

With a curse, I remembered the nark parked outside. God, he had just witnessed the whole thing go down. Wanting to protect my friends, I impulsively ran outside and straight for the Escalade. See? Always jumping into situations without much thought. But hey, it had worked out just fine for me my entire life, so I wasn't about to change my ways.

"What the fuck is your problem?" I slammed my hands on the hood of the vehicle, then stormed over to the driver's side and pounded on the tinted window. "Hello! Open it up!"

The piece of glass slid down, revealing a-

I was taken aback with the piece of eye candy behind the wheel. His looks were enough to steal your breath away, just as they had done to me. Taking a moment to appraise him, my eyes traveled up and down his face and broad chest. Brown shoulder-length hair hung loose around the hard angles of his face and impossibly high cheek bones. Full, dark pink lips. Perfect nose and sparkling white teeth. Deep, rich brown eyes that held so much knowledge and hidden secrets it chilled you to the bone. An from what I could see, the man was dressed in a white button down shirt and expensive looking black slacks.

To make a long story short, he as a God.

Snapping out of my lust spell, I braced my hands against the opening of the window and glared at him. "Look, I know you're tailing me, Pig."

His lips curled slyly at what I'd called him. "Do you." Not a question, but rather a bored statement. His tone was so infuriating, all _I-really-don't-care-I-have-better-things-to-do-with-my-time._

Oh, I was going to give this MF hell. Just ruining his day would bring me such great joy.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "The donut shop closed down for the night? That's so devastating to hear. Well now, be a good bird and fly away. Find someone else to bug."

"You're either really brave or really stupid talking to me the way you are," The nark shuffled around, grabbed something out of his pocket, flashed me his badge. "My name is Dimitri Belikov. I'm the homicide detective investigating the murder of Mason Ashford."

"I didn't do it."

One dark brow arched. Cool. "It is my understanding that you were in a relationship with Mr. Ashford. Is that true, Ms. Hathaway?"

Not surprising that he knew my name, just proved Mr. Beli-_whatever_ had half a brain. "Yep. I was. Now, you gonna answer my question?"

"Only if you agree to answer a couple of mine."

"Fine. But me first."

Again with the twist of his lips. Those dark eyes gleamed with amusement and a bit of surprise at my boldness. "All right." The detective finally said.

"Why are you following me around?"

"Because I whole-heartedly believe you killed Mr. Ashford."

"Why don't you shut your mouth and go eat a donut, because you don't know shit. I would never hurt Mason."

"Hmmm. Your friends seem to think otherwise." Dimitri said.

"You talk to my friends?" I gaped, rage kicking up a notch in my veins, making punching that pig in the face seem very tempting.

"The ones I could get in touch with, yes. I questioned them," He took a sip from a paper cup and carefully placed it back in its holder. "and all of them have reason to believe that you would in fact harm the victim."

Sighing tiredly, suddenly feeling defeated and sad from the weeks events, I whispered, "Why would I have reason to kill my boyfriend? Honest to God, I loved that guy."

"Jealousy? Rage? Maybe you snapped? Feared he might be cheating on you? The _why _possibilities are endless, and believe it or not, they happen all the time." Dimitri said.

The good thing about the detective was that his face remained utterly blank the entire time he spoke with me, which meant he wasn't taking sides. Maybe he was slightly pointing the finger at me, but it was all logic, not personal opinion. If I was in his shoes, I'd have done the same thing. Actually, no. I wouldn't have. Instead, I'd have thrown some cuffs on my wrists and thrown me in the back of the car.

"You need to get the fuck out of this part of town," I growled. "Before I drag you out myself."

**DPOV:**

I wasn't intimidated in the slightest by her strong vocabulary. These days, I'd seen so much and done so much, that nothing really ever unnerved me.

However, this girl did. A part of me was impressed with her boldness, I rarely got spoken to that way, but I easily ignored that feeling and focused on her face. She was incredibly beautiful in real life, that mug shot hadn't done her justice, but there was something off about her chocolate-brown eyes. They were haunted, old, disturbed. Something entirely unfamiliar tightened in my chest to know that life had been so unkind to her. I wanted to help her. Wanted to protect her—

Shaking those absurd feelings away, I cleared my throat harshly and said, "I'd watch what you say before you put your foot in your mouth. Don't threaten me."

The teenager had enough sense to recoil a little, "Look…I know what you saw out front of my friend's apartments—"

"Not going to lie, the way you handled yourself was amazing."

Without warning, Rosemarie smiled. _My God, she was even more beautiful when she did that—_

"No." It came out as a growl, in order to control my emotions and feelings. With a deep breath, I put a cap on them and went back to being the detective I was supposed to be on this job. "I'll let you go on that one, Hathaway."

"Call me Rose."

"Right. No, I'll address you in the manner I favor." she shot me an annoyed look. "Do you want to press chargers against that man?"

"Ambrose? Oh, no. He's…yeah, it's complicated. I don't want him to go to jail, though. That's for sure."

"Hmmm. That's too bad." Stepping out of my escalade, I hiked up my pants, and pulled out the cuffs. "I hate to do this. But I'm afraid I'm unable to let you go. Boss's direct orders." And by boss, I meant Police chief—myself.

RPOV:

Staring at the chunk of metal dangling in Dimitri's hand - the only thing that separated me from freedom and being caged up - my only thought was…"Damn, for a second I thought you were cool. Guess I was wrong."

One more glance at him, then I was off at a dead run, pushing my legs until I was sure my muscles would snap.

Unfortunately, the cop with the Russian accent was tight on my heels, thanks to his long ass legs. He pursued me down the street and into the alley.

Spotting two metal garbage cans, I kicked them over on my way by in hopes of the mess getting in his way and slowing him down for a few crucial seconds. Maybe if I was lucky, there'd be an old banana peel he could slip on.

Glancing over my shoulder, I cursed loudly. Dimitri didn't stop or even hesitate, and with an awesome surge, jumped over the cans effortlessly.

"Crap!" I puffed, plowing in to the Italian restaurant owner coming out the back of the building like a bowling ball and pins. Taking him down was easy, in spite of the fact that he was as round as a basketball, but landing on the asphalt hurt my ribs like a bitch.

Great, those pounding footsteps were getting louder, meaning Dimitri was getting closer.

There was only one thing on my brain: Escape.

The word injected even more adrenaline in my veins, motivated me to get past the pain of the cracked ribs I no doubt had, and boot-kicked me onto my feet. Realizing the nark was _right _there; I became desperate and grabbed the thing closet to me: A blaring orange traffic cone.

Swinging it at Dimitri, I aimed for his head—

His hand shot out like a striking cobra, latched onto the plastic, and yanked it right out of my grip. Gravity had my body lurching forward, slamming right against his hard chest.

"Shit," I said as he wrapped his arms around me and squeezed on my ribcage, making the bones crush even further. My air came in and out of my lungs on a wheeze.

"You could have made this so much easier!" Dimitri shouted, catching his breath, sweat blooming on his forehead.

"So could have you." I kicked him in the balls. Low blow, but it was all I had.

As he groaned and doubled over, I took off, heading straight for one of the rusty ladders that led into windows of Avery's crappy apartment building. Bracing my hands against the cold and sharp metal, I started to climb up as fast as I could—

Thud.

Like some kind of superhero, the cop circled two fingers into one of the loops on my jeans and yanked back. I went flying and landed right on my ass. The impact rattled every bone in my body and nearly shattered my teeth as the bottom and top set collided.

Dimitri, obviously done playing games, tackled me, smashing my face into the ground. I gasped as the oxygen pushed from my lungs.

Hell hath no fury like a pissed off Russian, I thought with a small grin.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do or say can and will be held against you in a court of law—"

"Go eat a donut and choke on it!"


	2. Chapter 2: An offer hard to refuse

**A/N: **WOW! Thank you all so much! I hope you enjoy this new chapter! :-)

Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy.

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><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

"Oh, come on. The foreigner is back?" I threw my hands up dramatically. "Couldn't they get anyone but cheap outsourced help to do the job? Man, I guess anyone can work at the police station these days."

The detective ignored that. After reading me the Miranda rights and pressing the button on the recorder, Dimitri took a seat across from me.

"Mornin', Cop."

He arched a brow. "Good morn-"

"When am I getting out of here?" I interrupted.

"Not for a while. So get comfy."

The room was pretty much bare. Awful cream-colored cement walls, one metal table, two metal, uncomfortable as hell, numb your ass chairs, and a rectangular sheet of glass that was no doubt a one-way window. Earlier I had felt eyes on me and promptly flipped off the people I couldn't see.

Glancing up, I spotted a black camera zooming in on my face, and on habit and impulse, I raised my hands and gave the sleek device two birds.

"This interview is being taped, recorded—"

"Duh."

"—and may be given in evidence if your case is brought to trial. The time is 1600 hours on Thursday, August the seventeenth, 2011. This interview is taking place at Charleston Falls Police Department."

"Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Is all are hear. Hey, are you going to finish that?"

Rolling his eyes, he slid the chocolate glazed donut with one bite taken out of it towards me and continued on.

"My name is Dimitri Belikov, I work for Charleston Falls Police Station as chief of police and a part time homicide detective. My role today is to interview you in relation to the offenses you've been arrested for."

I'd been cuffed for a minor warrant and some lousy misdemeanor. BFD. It was perfect for Dimitri. Get me under custody, and he got to interrogate the main suspect in Mason's murder case. Try and break me down. Make me crack. Confess to the crime.

Whatever. I wasn't going to.

"I will be making notes during the interview purely for my reference." The cop said.

"Okey. Dokey." I licked the remaining chocolate off my lips. His gaze followed the movement before his eyes snapped away and he grabbed his pen and notepad.

"State your full name, please."

"Rose Hathaway."

"Full name."

"Oh, yeah. Rosemarie."

"Full name."

"Rosemarie Hathaway. There. You happy, dick?"

"Date of birth."

I gave it to him.

"Can you confirm for the purpose of the tape that there are no other persons present in the interview room?"

"Yep. This room is about as empty as my stomach and soul."

Dimitri arched an eyebrow and pointedly looked down at the empty plastic wrapper with the smudges of chocolate.

"What?" I leaned back and crossed my arms. "I'm still hungry."

"I can give you something to do drink..."

"You can give me a whole lot of shut-the-hell-up. Or give me the keys to get out of this shit hole and I'd be delighted."

"Unfortunately, I cannot do that." I could tell by the way his lips twitched that he was fighting the urge to smile.

"Whatever." I muttered. "It's your world. I just live in it."

"I need to warn you," Dimitri sat forward, braced his strong forearms against the table. "You have the right to remain silent, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do or say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?"

"Crystal clear, baby." I drummed my thumbs against my thigh, trying to keep my cool. I may have been the perfect picture of I-don't-care on the surface, but underneath, my blood was boiling with worry and anxiety. God, if they found me guilty of killing Mason...I'd have to spend the rest of my life in prison for a crime I didn't commit. Or worse, I'd be sentenced to the death penalty-

No.

I had to stop letting my thoughts get out of control. Even if they did find enough evidence, the trial could be years and years away.

Take it one day at a time, I thought with a deep breath.

"This is your opportunity for you to give your version of events." Dimitri said.

I declined the offer, not wanting to relieve that day ever again. The nightmares were bad enough.

Dimitri's eyes were cold as stone as he leaned forward, face only inches from mine. He meant business. "Are you sure? Off the record? I wouldn't recommend that you do that, Hathaway."

"Off the record?" I scooted closer to him, putting our mouths just centimeters apart. Jesus, he smelled delicious. "You're a fucking asshole and I want to punch you in the face right now."

"Fair enough," his lips curled. "Anything you say in court may—and will most likely—harm your defense. The court may also draw an inference from your silence-"

"Wait," I pondered the thought, then decided to tell him. I described, in vivid detail, everything about that night only a little over a week ago. The shouting. The gunshot that had awaken me out of sleep. The ringing in my ears. The smell of gunpowder. The blood. And how I had only seen the back of a man in all black jumping out the window.

After I was done with the gruesome tale, I leaned back, the pins-and-needles feeling buzzing all over my skin from being in such a close proximity with the detective was completely foreign to me.

"You have the right to free and independent advice. Do you require the services of a solicitor?"

"Nope," I said, popping the 'P'. It was little things like that that irritated the hell out of Dimitri, I'd learned. And boy, did I love pissing him off. Just to pour gasoline on fire, I pulled a piece of bubble gum out of my pocket, tossed it in my mouth, and chewed like a cow.

Dimitri's jaw clenched and I could tell he was fighting to stay in control.

I laughed obnoxiously.

He wrote something down on the notepad. "Any reason you choose not to have one?"

"Nope," Chew. Chew. Chew. Chew. "No reason."

"Okay," The cop drew in a deep, collective breath. "Tell me why you think you've been arrested."

And the interrogation went on and on and on and on…

For six damn hours.

I'd never herd the words, what, where, why, how, and when, so many times in my life. Apparently, the police department had some spanking evidence against me, and it continued to build. By the time it was over, I wanted to shove screwdrivers into both of my ears and eyes. I had also managed to dump a cup of scolding black coffee in to Dimitri's lap, kick him in the balls, and moon the one-way window several times.

"Is there anything you would like to add or clarify?" he finished.

"How many bullets would it take you to kill me?" I got up from the floor and stretched my aching muscles, cracking my shoulder. "Because if you have enough in your gun right now, just do it. Shoot me. Empty your clip in my chest and put me out of my misery."

Dimitri smiled as he pulled the handcuffs from his pocket and locked them around my wrists. "Let's go, Hathaway."

"When am I being released?" God, did I want some cheese with that whine? My voice was so nasally.

"Next week."

We didn't say anything else as he escorted me back to my cell.

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><p><strong>DPOV:<strong>

There was a knock on the door and I glanced up. "Mikhail, come in. Please."

"Boy, that girl is a handful, isn't she." He walked into my office and took a seat across my desk with mountains of paperwork and folders.

"Yeah, she is." I rubbed my eyes, trying to ease the stabbing pain in my skull. It didn't work. I had been up all night investigating the leads on the Ashford case. After Rosemarie's interrogation, my gut was telling me that she was speaking the truth when she refused she had anything to do with her boyfriends death.

The teenager was extremely hard to read—at least for other detectives. However, she was like an open book to me. And when she lied, she was terrible at it. Never met my eyes, twitched, rubbed her hands together, and talked rapidly— all signs of deceit. But there was something in her eyes that just made you feel as if you could trust her. There was hopelessness in there. She was just a lost young woman, crying out for help.

All of that was completely irrational. She was a criminal, and no matter how innocent I assumed her to be, I never let my guard down. I would look at the situation from a professionals standpoint, and treat her as a suspected murder until I could prove otherwise. One thing I didn't do in my business was give special treatment.

"Someone's here to pick her up,"

My lids snapped open, "What? No, I still have seventy-two hours left with Hathaway."

"Apparently not," Mikhail said. "Some boy just came and bailed her out. She's getting released right now."

"Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"The rookie didn't tell you? Shit. He was supposed to. Anyways, you know I've been meaning to ask you this for awhile boss, I've got a lot of extra vacation time—"

"Take as much time as you need," I jumped up from my chair and headed for the door. "Tell your wife I said hello. More importantly, both of you have fun and enjoy yourselves."

"Thanks, boss. We really appreciate it. With the baby on the way, Sonya and I just need some time to relax for awhile…"

Mikhail's words faded as I ran down the hallway—

And stopped dead in my tracks.

A real flashy man in his early twenties had his arms wrapped around my suspect, and she was hugging him back just as eagerly.

"Adrian!" she screamed. "Thank you! Thank you! You are a saint! I don't think I could have survived another minute in that rat hole."

"Of course you couldn't," he pulled back, grabbed her hand, and pressed a lingering kiss to her knuckles. "That place is filth and you deserve the best of the best, Little Lady."

Rosemarie smiled and smoother her fingers through his bronzed-colored hair.

My fingers suddenly ached and I glanced down. They were balled so tightly into fists that my knuckles were about to snap right off the bones. Strange, I thought, as my insides filled with something burning hot…and very angry.

I stalked straight up to the two of them. "Hathaway. Can I speak with you for a moment?"

**RPOV:**

Glancing up at the bowl of eye candy that called himself Detective Belikov, I tucked my hair behind my ear and said, "Excuse me? In case you haven't heard, I just got bailed out. I'm out of here."

Adrian's devil-may-care smile was at complete odds with his emerald-green, icy gaze.

"I'll drop two charges if you come to my office." Dimitri said gruffly. "Right now."

My mouth dropped open. "Which ones?"

"Assault against an officer and resisting arrest."

"You strike a hard bargain, Cop." I tapped my nails against my teeth. "All right. Let's go."

After placing a kiss to Adrian's cheek, I followed Dimitri to his office and dropped down into a chair as he shut his door and closed the blinds.

"I take it this is secret business, correct?"

"You bet." he eased down into the seat behind his massive, mahogany colored desk. "Where is he taking you after you leave this station?"

I snorted. "Like I'm going to tell you that."

"You should."

"Why? So you can follow me around a bit more and continue to build a case against me for a crime I didn't commit? You know what, screw you." I started to get up-

He was over in a flash, gripping my bicep.

"Let me go," I bared my teeth, growling. "Or I will scream so loud every window in this building will shatter."

"You think they'll come running in here for you?" Dimitri shook his head, eyes frighteningly intense. "Not unless I tell them to. You're not the first one who has screamed in my office."

"You're crazy." I eyed the cup of pens on his desk, thinking the sharp tips would buy me some time if I stabbed his eyeballs-

"I'm not going to hurt you, Rose," His gentle tone shocked me, because I didn't think the hard-ass was capable of being soft. "I just want to talk to you."

"Then let go of my damn arm, sit down in your seat, and let's have a nice chit chat."

"I prefer to stand," The detective leaned slightly against his desk. "And as for what you said earlier, I don't believe you murdered Mason."

"Really?" That surprised me.

"Yes," he said. "I believe all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law."

I slumped in the chair, disappointment swelling my heart until it ached painfully in my chest. Worst than the three cracked ribs I had. "Bastard." I muttered under my breath.

"I need you to listen."

Leaning forward, I mocked being extremely interested in what he had to say. "I'm all ears!"

"I want to make you a deal."

"Okay..."

"Do not walk out of here with that man."

I had to laugh. "You're insane, you know that. Completely delusional."

Dimitri simply shrugged, completely unaffected by the insult. "You haven't even asked what the deal is yet."

"I don't care what it is."

"Are you sure about that. I'm positive you'll have a change of heart once you hear what's in it for you."

The tone of the detective's voice had me overwhelmingly curious, and I found myself asking questions, in spite of the fact that my brain was screaming at me.

"I am still suspicious of you being Mason Ashford's murder, as I am with my other suspects, but I can no longer hold you."

My insides filled with smug. "Go on, officer..."

"I am also afraid that once you get released, you will disappear off the face of the planet and I'll never be able to find you again. My main point is, I want to keep an eye on you." Dimitri crossed his arms and his brows came together in concentration. "So I have only two options. I can pop you back into foster care, which you are likely to escape-"

"You got that right."

"-and then I will likely be doomed in the investigation and the case will run cold."

"Gotta be honest here, Pig, this deal isn't sounding too appetizing for me. It only seems like you're trying to trap me so that when you do have proof, or possibly staged proof against me, you can throw me in jail without breaking a sweat. Haven't you ever heard of someone being wrongfully accused and spending their whole life in prison for something they didn't do? I like to be a free bird, thank you very much."

Suddenly he got down on his knees in front of me and grabbed my hand. I gasped at the electric current that went through me at his warm, confident touch. "I want to make this clear, Rose. On the contrary to what you might think, I'm not the bad guy here. I only want to find the person who killed your boyfriend and fast. I promise that if you didn't do this, I will do everything in my power to prove you innocent and find the person who really did. I'm trying to help you."

Staring at Dimitri for the longest time, I found only truth in his dark brown eyes, and for some absurd reason, I trusted and believed him whole-heartedly. He may have been a hard-ass, but he wasn't crooked or evil. He only wanted to bring justice for Mason, and so did I. "Okay." I said. "I accept your deal."

The detective got to his feet, arching an eyebrow. "But you haven't even heard the rest of it."

"Don't need to. I trust you."

In spite of my protests, Dimitri decided to tell me everything about his deal, and by the time he was finished speaking, I felt my stomach knotting. Oh, gee. I had already agreed to it. No backing out now. We'd shook on it.

Dimitri had told me that he was going to do something completely unheard of and out-there: offer me to come live at a police academy called St. Vladimir's. Turns out, his father had owned the place before he'd died - something he hadn't gone into details about - and now Dimitri owned it. It was a private thousand acre resort- or at least, that's why I liked to call it - located in the Montana mountains and wilderness. To make a long story short, it was hell on earth. A place where Dimitri trained only the most badass cops. Okay, he hadn't used the term "badass", but it sounded cooler than all his bland and extra long words.

Lucky for me, he was taking new recruits.

"It's hell on earth," he repeated as we concluded.

"Good thing I like challenges than, huh."

"I'm not kidding you, Hathaway." Dimitri met my eyes. "It's a six week program. Once you're in, you're in. No getting out. The training is brutal. Absolutely no drugs. No alcohol. No smoking. No sex. And no stealing. You have to try your hardest and give it your all, or else I kick you out."

I thought of all the reasons I should do it. Number one, I was homeless. Number two, I had no job. Number three, I was broke. And number four...

"Do you want to change your life? Do you want a fresh start? Want to wipe the slate clean and clear that criminal record of yours? Well, here is your opportunity."

If I had felt any doubt earlier, this was all the encouragement I needed. I was going to do this, whether I liked it or not. I hadn't realized it until now, but my life was going down a dangerous path. I didn't know where I'd be ten years from now, or if I'd even make it to see my next birthday. Besides, I had nowhere else to go. Avery wasn't going to welcome me back. She didn't want or need the attention of the police. And now matter how good of friends we were, she wasn't going to risk her freedom for me. Adrian had rich parents and he adored me, but he was expecting me to pay him back for the bail money. That or...give my body up to him. Which was something I would never do.

I stared up at Dimitri and all his yummyness. That silky hair. Blazing dark eyes. Incredible physique. And pantie-dropping accent. "When do I start, Comrade?"


	3. Chapter 3: My fresh start

**A/N:**

Hey, guys!

Thank you all for the amazing reviews! Sorry for the long wait. I've been busy trying to wrap up my other stories so I could have more time to work on my new ones. My new focus is this fanfic, and I promise there's going to be quicker updates from now on! :-) Some of you, who have read "A Blessing in Disguise", will notice that there are a few similarities with this story. I got my inspiration from ABID, but this story is not going to be a copy, I promise! Hope you enjoy!

~Bree

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>~*Previously on Cop and Attitude*~<strong>

_"I am also afraid that once you get released, you will disappear off the face of the planet and I'll never be able to find you again. My main point is, I want to keep an eye on you." Dimitri crossed his arms and his brows came together in concentration. "So I have only two options. I can pop you back into foster care, which you are likely to escape-"_

_"You got that right."_

_"-and then I will likely be doomed in the investigation and the case will run cold."_

_"Gotta be honest here, Pig, this deal isn't sounding too appetizing for me. It only seems like you're trying to trap me so that when you do have proof, or possibly staged proof against me, you can throw me in jail without breaking a sweat. Haven't you ever heard of someone being wrongfully accused and spending their whole life in prison for something they didn't do? I like to be a free bird, thank you very much."_

_Suddenly he got down on his knees in front of me and grabbed my hand. I gasped at the electric current that went through me at his warm, confident touch. "I want to make this clear, Rose. On the contrary to what you might think, I'm not the bad guy here. I only want to find the person who killed your boyfriend and fast. I promise that if you didn't do this, I will do everything in my power to prove you innocent and find the person who really did. I'm trying to help you."_

_Staring at Dimitri for the longest time, I found only truth in his dark brown eyes, and for some absurd reason, I trusted and believed him whole-heartedly. He may have been a hard-ass, but he wasn't crooked or evil. He only wanted to bring justice for Mason, and so did I. "Okay." I said. "I accept your deal."_

_The detective got to his feet, arching an eyebrow. "But you haven't even heard the rest of it."_

_"Don't need to. I trust you."_

_In spite of my protests, Dimitri decided to tell me everything about his deal, and by the time he was finished speaking, I felt my stomach knotting. Oh, gee. I had already agreed to it. No backing out now. We'd shook on it._

_Dimitri had told me that he was going to do something completely unheard of and out-there: offer me to come live at a police academy called St. Vladimir's. Turns out, his father had owned the place before he'd died - something he hadn't gone into details about - and now Dimitri owned it. It was a private thousand acre resort- or at least, that's why I liked to call it - located in the Montana mountains and wilderness. To make a long story short, it was hell on earth. A place where Dimitri trained only the most badass cops. Okay, he hadn't used the term "badass", but it sounded cooler than all his bland and extra long words._

_Lucky for me, he was taking new recruits._

_"It's hell on earth," he repeated as we concluded._

_"Good thing I like challenges than, huh."_

_"I'm not kidding you, Hathaway." Dimitri met my eyes. "It's a six week program. Once you're in, you're in. No getting out. The training is brutal. Absolutely no drugs. No alcohol. No smoking. No sex. And no stealing. You have to try your hardest and give it your all, or else I kick you out."_

_I thought of all the reasons I should do it. Number one, I was homeless. Number two, I had no job. Number three, I was broke. And number four..._

_"Do you want to change your life? Do you want a fresh start? Want to wipe the slate clean and clear that criminal record of yours? Well, here is your opportunity."_

_If I had felt any doubt earlier, this was all the encouragement I needed. I was going to do this, whether I liked it or not. I hadn't realized it until now, but my life was going down a dangerous path. I didn't know where I'd be ten years from now, or if I'd even make it to see my next birthday. Besides, I had nowhere else to go. Avery wasn't going to welcome me back. She didn't want or need the attention of the police. And now matter how good of friends we were, she wasn't going to risk her freedom for me. Adrian had rich parents and he adored me, but he was expecting me to pay him back for the bail money. That or...give my body up to him. Which was something I would never do._

_I stared up at Dimitri and all his yummyness. That silky hair. Blazing dark eyes. Incredible physique. And pantie-dropping accent. "When do I start, Comrade?_"

**RPOV:**

"Hathaway!" Dimitri barked, pounding his fists against the bathroom door. It annoyed the hell out of me.

"You've got five seconds to get your ass out here or I'm leaving without you!"

"One sec, Pig." I called back. "Just taking a piss."

"Such a lady," I heard him mutter.

"Hey, why don't you shut your big fat mouth?" I asked as I pumped my hands full of soap and turned on the faucet, streaming warm water poured into my awaiting palms. "Last time I checked, this was a police academy I'm going to. Not charm school. So I should be getting a few extra points for being more masculine than the average female."

"Five...four...three...two..."

"One!" I screamed, ripping open the public bathroom door.

"You look..." Detective Belikov's brown eyes traveled up and down my body long enough to threaten to trigger my blush. "Appropriate."

"Really? Because I thought I looked like a hobo. What the hell did you make this uniform out of anyways? Two Hefty trash bags?"

His lips twitched. "They're for fighting. Not fashion."

"Give me a Bedazzler," I said, tugging on the awful gray sweat suit with the pine-green bold words on the front: ST. VLADIMIR'S POLICE ACADEMY. "I'll bedazzle this bitch until it looks half decent."

"My mother would have cleaned my mouth out with a bar of soap if I would have spoken like you have," his tone was full of disapproval. "I ought to do that with you."

I made a show of dramatic winking. "You can do anything you want to with my mouth. It's all yours, baby."

"Let's go." Dimitri said tightly, making me giggle. "The bus is waiting."

I followed him outside. The weather was cloudy and raining, adding to my strange mood. Like he had said, there was an old, blaring yellow school bus. Inside, the air was stale and smelled of old urine and pizza crusts. I discovered a sea of cute boys. Their ages ranged from late teens to early twenties, and they all sported the same army hair cut and stoic expression.

I didn't know whether to be in awe, or go, '_Holy shit! I'm the only girl here!'_

"Take your seat," Dimitri commanded, voice so deep.

"Are you sitting with me?" I asked, suddenly feeling panicked. I was used to being around guys, it was no BFD. But this many? At least twenty-five? It had me a little nervous.

"I'm driving." Detective Belikov went to the front, leaving me alone, just like that.

"Stupid Pig." I muttered. Anger and aggression always made me feel better.

"Hey, cutie, what's your name?"

That singsong voice had my head swiveling around. There was a guy with bronze hair and blue eyes.

"Damn," I hissed. He was hot. Nothing compared to that Russian cop, but still, the guy was _fantasize-about-while-you're-in-the-tub_ worthy.

He arched an elegant brow. "Something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh." Realization settled in. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

His smile was careless and beautiful. "Yeah, you did. But don't worry about it, baby girl. My name is Jessie Zeklos." he shook my hand.

"Rose Hathaway."

"You wanna come sit by us?"

I looked around and shrugged. "Why not?"

"Assigned seating." Dimitri barked. "You don't get to chose what seat you're in."

I growled. "Well, where the hell am I supposed to sit?"

"Over here!" A feminine voice chimed. A pale arm shot up and waved. Squinting, I realized that I wasn't the only girl on the bus. The female who was beckoning me over was beautiful. Long, platinum blond hair. Wide, bright eyes. Small, classic features. She looked like an angel.

For some reason, though I had yet to meet her, I decided in that moment, I really liked her.

Smiling, I walked over and took my seat. "Hey," I shook her hand. "I'm Rose."

"Lissa." Her happiness and energy was contagious. "It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too." There was this great aura to the girl sitting next to me. She was gentle, kind, relaxed, caring. But there was also some fire in that soul. Which was a fantastic combination.

"You look hungry," Lissa said, rummaging through her purse. "Here." She handed me a Snickers bar.

I gaped, amazed. She'd just seriously earned some brownie points with me. "Thanks! This is my favorite!" What can I say? Food always made me joyous. Tearing open the wrapper, I sunk my teeth into the chocolatey goodness like a starved animal.

Lissa's giggle was soft and melodic. "I always keep an emergency candy bar in my purse for, you know, _emergencies_."

"You are a genius." I mumbled around my mouthful.

Again with the captivating giggle. Sweet Jesus, that sound was wonderful. "So, why are you here?"

I licked my fingertips. "Excuse me?"

"The police academy." she explained. "What made you decide to join?"

"Oh." I swallowed, rubbing my sticky hands on my jeans. "Uh, um, to erase a criminal record."

Lissa's jade-green eyes widened. "You're a criminal? That's freeking awesome, dude."

"Not so much," I said. "At least not when you get hauled off to jail. Anyways, I kind of got blackmailed into joining this whole six week program."

"Blackmailed?"

I nodded at Dimitri driving in the front. "I'm the main suspect in a murder case. He lured me here with the promises of a fresh start, a new life. I had no other options, short of becoming a prostitute or selling crack, so I took the offer...and here I am."

"Wow." Lissa seemed so engrossed with my story. She hung on to every word and really listened to what I was saying. For what seemed like the first time in my life, I felt important, like someone truly cared for me. "Well, I believe you got a good deal. Belikov may be a dick, but he is a man of his words and he will do whatever is in his power to keep the promise he made to you."

"You know the pig?" I asked, interested in digging up more information on the detective.

Lissa burst out laughing, drawing the attention of everyone in the bus.

"Do you mind?" I yelled to the staring faces. "We're trying to have a conversation here! Turn your asses around!"

As one, they all shifted in their seats and faced the front of the bus.

"You're funny. I like you." Giggles bubbled out of Lissa's mouth. She put a pale, slender hand to her lips in an attempt to muffle them. "I'm sorry."

I grinned so widely my cheeks hurt. "Never, ever apologize for laughing." I said. "And the feeling is mutual, just so you know. So, uh, tell me more about Sex on Legs up there."

"I couldn't describe him better myself." she said. "But I can see that you have your eye set on him, so I'll back off that unwelcome territory. Someone else has my attention anyways..." Lissa bit her lip as her eyes went dazed and desire-filled.

"Oh, la la." I purred. "Who is he?"

"Christian Ozera. He's one of the instructors at the academy. I've only met him once during orientation, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about him since..." she shook her head and blushed, as if embarrassed. "Anywhoo, let's talk about Dimitri."

I scooted closer to her, intrigued. "What do you know about him?"

"Not much. But I respect the hell out of him." Lissa murmured. "He's twenty-four. Single. Anti-social. Head instructor. An asshole who always acts like he's got a stick up his ass. Oh, and, he's and absolute _God._"

Both of my brows shot up. "A God? Well, he certainly does look like a reincarnate, doesn't he? His body and his face are perfect—"

"I'm not talking about his looks, though I will agree with you on what you just said." she paused. "I'm referring to his fighting. You should see him out on the field. Once he gets into combat mode and you see that battle lust set in his eyes, it's utterly fascinating. You can't tear your eyes off him. The way he moves his body and how strong he is and how easily he takes out his opponents..." Lissa sighed dreamily and I felt a pang of unwelcome jealously. "Yeah," she said finally. "He's a God. That's the only way I can describe it."

Why the hell was I feeling so angry towards her simply because she admired the cop? I seriously needed to get a grip on my foreign feelings.

Two hours later, the bus came to a stop at a large field of dirt. St. Vladimir's Police Academy was located deep in the woods of the Montana wilderness. It was completely isolated from civilization, and I already felt like I was losing my mind from the lack of people. Sure, it was beautiful and green and even had wildlife, but it just...wasn't me.

"Better get used to it," Lissa must have sensed my train of thoughts. "You're going to be here for the next six weeks. Besides, it's not so bad. This is actually kind of fun."

My eyes bulged, like a frog. "Are you insane?"

Dimitri cleared his throat, bringing all of the students attention to the front. "We're getting out here. The bus is no longer built to go on the terrain. The camp is up about four miles north, so grab your bags and get ready to do some hiking."

I turned to Lissa, horrified. "What? We have to walk four miles! Are you kidding me?"

She only smiled knowingly. "It's not so bad, girl. It ain't so bad..."

* * *

><p>"OH, MY GOD!" I whined, dragging my shoes. "My feet are killing me!"<p>

Dimitri was at the front, studying a map. I'd discovered during the two and a half miles we'd already walked, that he had a stunning tolerance for my bitchiness. He took all the heat and attitude I gave him and...did absolutely nothing.

Which infuriated me more than anything in the world.

"Are we there yetttttttt?" I groaned.

Detective Belikov shot a look over his shoulder that silenced me, then he stared at the rest of the recruits. "Fifteen minute break here. Sit down. Relax. Drink some water."

There was a sound of relief as they all did what he'd ordered.

"Oh, thank God." I walked over to a tree, seeking shelter from the scolding sun, and leaned against the rough bark. "I need a cigarette." Pulling an ivory stick out of my secret pack, I brought it to my lips and lit it. The cherry flared orange as I inhaled.

Lissa glanced around, paranoid. "What are you doing?"

"Giving my lungs a good workout. How about you?" I closed my eyes, letting the familiar scent of smoke calm every bone and muscle in my body.

"Give me a puff!"

My lids snapped open. "You smoke?"

She snorted. "Don't look so surprised. I'm not always the Good Girl. There's other sides to me."

I gave her the lit cigarette. "You know what, Liss? You're pretty cool. You're pretty cool."

I was laughing my ass of watching Lissa feed a squirrel a cracker as I smoked, when all of a sudden, the ivory stick was ripped out of my mouth.

"What the fuck?" I yelled at Dimitri.

His face was set in stone, dark eyes blazing with anger. "Smoking is prohibited on the camp." He dropped the cigarette to the dirt and shred it with his leather boots.

"This isn't your camp!"

"This _is _my camp!"

I made a sweeping motion with my hand, gesturing to the lush green forest around us. "This is the wilderness! This is earth. God owns this. Not you!"

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "Let's go. You too, Lissa."

She shuffled off, pausing behind Dimitri and dry humping the air.

I laughed.

The cop turned around, face puzzled.

Lissa's face dropped with guilt, she scurried off, disappearing into the crowd of students.

Dimitri turned back to me, lips twitching. "Give me your cigarettes." he demanded, holding out his palm.

"You just stomped on it." I said innocently.

"Don't play me as a fool, Hathaway." he said. "I know you have more. We have to get going. The sun is setting. This is when the animals come out to hunt."

Sexual thoughts raced to my brain. I pictured Dimitri in a Tarzan garb, sweaty and dirty as he swung from vines, roaring barbarically, hunting wild animals with a spear. I giggled inwardly at the sexy as hell vision. My friends had always told me I had an active imagination.

"Fine," I said, feigning shame. "Here you go..." Leaning down, I scooped up the dirt and rocks and remains of the brutally murdered cigarette. I dropped the contents in his hands and grinned up at him.

Dimitri arched an eyebrow. His eyes were dangerous and playful. "You really should have just given me what I wanted."

I screamed when he lunged forward and snapped his large arms around me. He pulled me to his body and crushed me against his chest. I cursed nastily when his fingers shoved into my pocket and ripped out my secret pack of Marlboro 100's and lighter.

The cop shoved me back, flashing what was in his hand victoriously, smiling darkly. "Let's make this simple. No smoking while you're enrolled in this program. Understand?"

If looks could kill, he'd be dead right now. "Yeah, I got it."

* * *

><p>Lissa and I walked out of orientation, staring at the wavers we'd just signed.<p>

I read from the alarming paragraph. "...by printing your signature below, you agree that if anything should happen to your being during this six week course, including serious injury and/or death, that Charleston Falls Police Department and the state of Montana are not liable or responsible for the cause—Jesus Christ! Are you serious?"

"You didn't read the whole thing," Lissa smiled and rolled her eyes. "It's rare for anything to happen. They just have us sign this as a precaution."

"RARE, Lissa! _Rare! _Not impossible!" I slapped the paper on my hand for dramatic affect. "You know what this thing says? It's gives permission to Dimitri and all of his fellow instructors to kill us. Yep, you heard right. As long as it's on the grounds of St. Vladimir's Police Academy, they can do what ever the hell they want with us and they won't get blamed. I'm scared now...let's get out while we can. We can move to Thailand, change our identities and names—"

"Rose," Lissa said sternly. "Relax. That's not the case. Nothing is going to happen here, okay? Everything is going to be fine..."

* * *

><p>A week later, I screamed until my lungs gave out. "DIMITRI! STOP!" I ran from my pursuer, sweating and bleeding. "PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! Just...STOP THE MADNESS!"<p>

"You have to pass this in order to graduate." The cop said. "I'm not doing this for fun."

"Rose!" Lissa, my new best friend, gave me a thumbs up. Her face was blaring red, eyes kind and full of understanding. "If I did this, then you can do it. I believe in you. I know you can do this. It's just one lousy test. Come on, girl..." She gave me an encouraging nod. It was clear she was in pain, but she refused to leave the room without me, even though all of the other students had already run to the showers, screaming and coughing, some even vomiting.

Taking strength and courage from her, I nodded, took a deep breath, and planted my feet onto the carpet. "Okay...hit me."

Dimitri didn't hesitate for a second. There was a loud hiss, then the blast of pepper spray met my eyes. It was instant agony, the burning uncontrollable. It literally felt like my eyes were on fire.

I fell to the floor, groaning and rubbing the stinging skin of my face.

I heard Dimitri write something on his clipboard. "You passed, Hathaway." was all he said before leaving the training room.

Lissa keeled down and thrust a towel in my face. "Here. Wipe what you can off. I'll help you to the showers. That'll make us feel better."

* * *

><p>"Adrian! What are you doing here?" I ran and jumped into his awaiting arms. We gave each other a bone crushing hug before he placed me back down on the ground again. I stared at his uniform in bafflement.<p>

"Damn, female. I like the way you greet me." Adrian gave his signature smirk. "Miss me?"

I punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" he clutched the sore spot. "What the hell?"

"Tell me why you're here!"

"I'm training to become a police officer, just like you." he explained. "Simple as that."

I narrowed my eyes, not believing him.

"Okay...okay. I lied. There's something about a woman being strong and in charge and dominant...it turns me on like there's no tomorrow. To be truthfully honest, I only came here to see the lady cops." Adrian gazed around the campground. "So, where are they?"

I gestured to myself. "You're staring at her."

His face paled with horror. "What? You're the only chick here? That can't be possible."

That got him a death glare. "Excuse me? What's wrong with me?"

"Oh, what? Oh. No. No. No. No. Nothing at all, you're mouthwatering. It's just, I've seen you many times before, and I need some fresh meat. Know what I'm sayin'?"

Abruptly, I smiled and socked him again. "I'm just jerking your chain. There's a few chicks here. They're rare. But they do exist."

Just then, as if summoned by the angels, Sydney, one of only two female instructors at the academy, hurried by, heading for the showers.

"Hey, Sydd!" I waved her over. "Come here! Come here!"

The woman glared at me.

"Oops. Sorry. My bad." I cleared my throat. "Officer Sage, will you please grace us with your lovely presence?"

She rolled her eyes and smiled a little as she joined us.

Adrian unashamedly eyed her body up and down. Her golden hair was in a severe bun at the top of her head and she was in her usual black sweat pants and wife beater. Sweat dripped down her skin, explaining her reason for going to wash up.

"Lunch starts in fifteen." she glanced at her wrist watch. "What are you two doing out here?"

"Adrian Ivashkov." My childhood friend grabbed her unwilling hand and placed a kiss to it.

"Instructor Sage." Sydney said tightly, looking like she was fighting the urge to kick him in the balls. Yeah, Adrian could come on a little strong some times. His velvety, all sexual voice was nearly obscene.

"Such a beautiful name," he said. "And such a tasty spice. I just love to sprinkle some on my lamb and chicken. I'd also love to put some of your body on me, Ms. Sage. How does that sound?"

Sydney was understandably and completely offended.

I choked on my own saliva as I burst out laughing. "Well, I'll be damned if that's not how you sweep a lady off her feet."

"I kid. I kid." Adrian smiled charmingly, but it didn't fool Sydney or make her any less mad. "How about a fresh start, Instructor?"

"I think that would be best." She reluctantly gave him her hand again.

He shook it. "It's very nice to meet you." Leaning forward, he pressed his nose to her collarbone and inhaled deeply. "You smell wonderful, like jasmine and honey. My favorite scents."

Sydney gave him a not so gentle shove. "Personal space, buddy. You ever heard of it?"

"Space is so overrated, and so are clothes. So please, if at anytime you feel the urge to get rid of that shirt or your pants, go right ahead. Also, if you need any help getting rid of your under garments, I've got a Masters in bra removing."

"You are repulsive." was all she said.

"I like you, too." Adrian said.

Dimitri came out of his cabin, looking gorgeous as ever in his black top and pants. Yeah, the asshole cop had a cabin all to himself. So did all of the other instructors. That was just plain cruel, considering the recruits had to sleep in one big cramped cabin.

That wasn't even the worst part.

There were bunk beds...

Yeah, that's right. We had to sleep on bunk beds. Metal bunk beds with thin, dirty, itchy mattresses.

I didn't even want to get into the part about the cockroaches.

"Belikov!" Sydney yelled, grabbing the detective's attention.

"What can I help you with, Sage?"

"Please tell me I don't have this punk in my class."

Dimitri traced the paper with his finger and smiled when he spotted Adrian's name. "I am deeply sorry."

"Oh, no." Sydney fingered the cross at her neck and—I swear—began to pray.

"You okay?" Adrian asked when she gagged and swallowed.

"Yes." she said, pointing to her throat. "I just threw up in my mouth a little."

* * *

><p>"<em>Pssst."<em>

I wrote notes down about the Miranda rights. The teacher, Stan Alto, who always looked like he was pissed off, was ruthless in his lectures. Always barking out all kinds of information and expecting you to learn it quickly. He also had this cruel habit of calling on random students and drilling them with questions. And if they didn't have the answer? They were completely humiliated to the point where he nearly called them stupid.

"_Pssst."_

Stan had done that to me a couple of times, and on the third time, I'd made him so angry that he'd gotten up in my face and turned all red. I had promptly told him to go fuck himself. I gave him credit for not backing down. But once he'd realized I wasn't someone you pushed around and treated like dirt, he'd kind of left me alone, which I was grateful for.

_"Pssst." _

I rubbed my ear, getting annoyed with that little bug noise that most likely came from a cricket in the classroom.

"_Pssst. Rose!" _

Annoyed, I glanced over at the small crack in the window to find Lissa's wide jade-green eyes. "Bathroom." My best friend mouthed. She grinned mischievously and flashed a bottle of vodka before disappearing.

Excitement spiked in me. I cracked my knuckles. _Time for a little acting_, I thought.

Just to add dramatic affect, I shoved all of my books off the desk and fell to the floor, groaning loudly.

Everyone turned around and stared at me.

Alto's thick brows crashed down. "You okay, Hathaway?"

"PMSing!" I roared, clutching my stomach. "The cramps are so bad...Oh, God. IT HURTS, STAN, IT HURTS SOOOO BAD!"

His eyes widened, and like any normal man, he was afraid of the subject of a woman's menstrual cycle. "Um, okay, go see the nurse, Hathaway. Immediately. I'll excuse you from today's class."

I stood up and walked to the door at a slow and seemingly painful pace.

"Jim, go with her! She needs someone to help her get to the nurses office." The teacher hollered.

I spun around just as the student jumped to his feet. "No! No! I'm fine. I want to go alone."

"Are you sure, Hathaway?" Stan asked. "You look in pretty rough shape."

"I am. But...I have to do this on my own, Mr. Alto." In a lowered voice, I said, _"I have to do this on my own."_

"Oh, of course." Respect flooded his face, and it took everything I had not to laugh.

I found Lissa inside the girls bathroom, sitting on the floor, chugging back the Vodka.

"Damn, girl." I said. "Did you leave me any?"

* * *

><p>Two hours and a bottle and a half of liquor later, Lissa and I were in an intense debate, what we were talking about, I wasn't exactly sure. I just knew that I was passionate about it and had to express my opinion.<p>

"You seriously need to get the scissors and cut the shit out," I slurred. "You...you can't let a guy treat you like that!"

"Shhh." she put a finger to my mouth. "You're too loud. They're going to hear us."

"Who?"

"I don't know!" Lissa glanced around at the empty bathroom suspiciously. "But they're listening to us! I know it!"

We giggled like crazy, something we'd been doing to whole time on our skip-class-and-get-drunk-off-your-ass adventure.

Abruptly she sighed and took a swig of the Vodka. "I'm depressed."

My forehead scrunched in confusion. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I wanna have sex with Christian Ozera..." Lissa confessed.

"Oh, yeah. That hottie. He's...hot." The picture of the instructor came to mind. Messy, jet-black hair. Ice-blue eyes. Regal features. Lean, tall, muscular body. Pale skin. He was beautiful, in a very dark way. He was remorseless with his students and also had a total self-deprecating, sarcastic, smartass personality.

I still couldn't get how someone like Lissa could be into him. But hey, the heart wanted what the heart wanted.

"Hey!" She punched me in the leg, surprising me with her strength. The girl knew how to throw! "He's mine, remember? Off limits. I agreed to stay away from Dimitri and you said you'd do the same for Christian."

"I was just saying Christian's cute, that's all. Don't worry. He's not my cup of tea."

Lissa exhaled, relieved. Did she honestly think I was going to steal her man? That amused me.

"Why won't he even look at me?" A tear formed in her eye. "He's so mean to me! All I am is nice to him!"

"Take it down a notch," I flinched at her loud voice.

"Oops. Sorry." Lissa giggled.

"You just need to be yourself," I shrugged. "I've seen the way you act around Christian. It's all fake and plastic-ee. Just be Lissa and he'll love it."

"You think?"

"Yeah. And if he doesn't like you? Then it's not meant to be. Simple as that."

"Thanks." My best friend gave me a big hug. "You're great. I love you, you know that right?"

I smiled, feeling so blessed to have someone like her in my life. "Yes, I do."

The door rattled, causing Lissa and I to jump. A booming voice came from the other side, "Open up!"

Dimitri.

"Shit!" We said in unison.

As the door went crazy and the cop began to kick it down, Lissa and I went frantic, putting out our cigarettes and throwing the bottle of liquor out the window. What a waste.

"What do we do? There's no way out!" My best friend said, panicking.

I looked around, searching for an escape route. "Oh! There!" I pointed to the window. "We'll squeeze through there!"

Lissa went pale. "Are you kidding? That's way too small! We won't fit!"

"Suck it in like you've never sucked in before!"

Kneeling down, I braced my fists together and instructed her to hoist herself up. She was light as a feather, and I managed to get her to the seal in two pushes.

The wood of the chair we'd used to barricade the door snapped.

"Fuck!" I screamed, laughing. "Hurry up! Hurry up!"

Lissa slid through the tiny window effortlessly. She then used the bench outside of the bathroom as leverage to stick her arm through and help me climb up as best she could.

Using all of my upper body strength, I squeezed passed my arms, over my chest, and...

Got stuck on my hips.

"Are you serious? You're jammed on that huge ass of yours?" My best friend leaned over, braced her hands against her thighs, and laughed so hard.

"Shut up!" I growled. "We're all not as petite as you are!"

"You need to lay off on the cornbread."

"Help me! Help me! He's coming."

We yanked, pulled, pushed, wiggled, and even tried to put some lotion on my hips to get me to give a little, but no matter what, my bottom stayed jammed in the window.

I heard the door fly open.

"Go!" I screamed. "Save yourself."

"I'm not going without you." Lissa folded arms.

"Don't be a fool. Go."

"No. We're going down together. We're both in trouble."

"If you don't leave right now, I swear to God, I will go to Christian's cabin buck naked, seduce him, and fuck his brains out."

With a growl, she ran off, disappearing into the pine trees.

I sensed Dimitri behind me. His anger filled the air around us and seemingly kicked the temperature up about twenty degrees.

"Hey, Comrade." I said, even though I was unable to see him.

_Can you say busted?_

The rich, wonderful, and thick laughter that escaped his lips was music to my ears. I closed my eyes, absorbing the mesmerizing sound. God, I loved his laugh.

Without warning, he left.

"Hello?" I hollered. "I can't get out. Help me!"

"Looks like you've gotten yourself in a quite a predicament." The cop appeared before me. He crossed his arms, smiled, and walked off, heading for his cabin.

"Hey!" I hollered at his retreating form. "Where are you going?"

"Enjoy your punishment." he said. The door to his cabin slammed shut.

* * *

><p>"Ow..." I groaned weakly. I had been jammed in the window for hours, way past the time the sky had gone dark. Every bone in my body ached and the metal in the window sill dug into my skin, causing painful cuts. I was freezing and starving, and to put the cherry on top of the chocolate sundae, I <em>really<em> had to go pee.

"Ugh." I grunted with effort, unavailingly trying for the billionth time to squeeze past my bottom. Still too big to fit. Lissa was right. I needed to lay off the cornbread for a while.

My prayers were answered when I heard feet crunching against the gravel.

"Help!" I cried. The sound grew louder, closer to me. "Someone help!"

Jesse, the hottie I'd met on the bus, stared at me strangely, squinting. "Rose?" he ran over and hopped up on the bench. "What are you doing up there?"

Okay, so he was shockingly good looking, but he wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box. That's okay. I could deal with that.

"Just hanging out," I laughed awkwardly. "Um, mind giving me a hand here?"

"You're stuck?"

I wanted to slap him so hard. "Yes," I bit out. "I'm stuck. That's why I called for help. Now help me!"

Jesse grabbed my arms and yanked. Hard.

"Ow! Son of a bitch! What is wrong with you?"

His blue eyes bulged with innocence. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I said softly, as if comforting a child. "Just, um, I don't think this whole push-and-pull thing is going to work. Can you run to the kitchen and grab some butter or cooking oil? We need something that will slide me right out."

"Oh! I almost forgot." Jesse yelled triumphantly, reaching into his pocket. "I got some lube. That oughtta' help."

I screamed in horror when he got the stuff near me.

"Don't worry," he assured me with a slow and smoldering smile. "It's a new bottle. It hasn't been used...yet. We can changed that later, though."

Now I knew how Sydney had felt dealing with Adrian. I threw up in my mouth a little.

He rubbed the—ew!—lube all over my skin and hips in generous amounts. It was messy business, but I felt a wash of utter relief when Jesse pulled on my arms and I slid on out of the window like a newborn baby.

I stretched and cracked my sensitive muscles and painful bones. "Thank you." I threw my arms around him in gratitude. "You're a life saver."

Jesse shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned back coolly, giving a flirty and suggestive grin. "So, uh, you want to come hang out with me for a bit? I'm just going to the Mess Hall to grab a soda—"

"I would love to. But..." I said. "I'm not feeling so good. Maybe tomorrow okay?"

He looked disappointed but gave a careless shrug anyways. "All right. Whatever. See ya later."

After taking a much needed bathroom back, I ran back to the cramped cabin all of the recruits housed in.

"Lissa!" I whispered yelled, poking her in the shoulder. "Wake up!"

She stirred in her sleep and her lids fluttered open. "Christian?"

"Are you crazy? No! It's me. Rose." I literally shoved her off the bunk bed.

Lissa yelped.

"That's for not coming back and checking on me. Now, come with me. I need your help with something."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is enough?" I asked as Lissa handed me the second pink box.<p>

"Rose," she yawned and crossed her arms, fighting off the blistering, three-AM cold. "You have enough donuts in there to feed an army of police officers."

"Good," I smiled evilly, thinking of the prank I was going to pull on Dimitri. What he'd done earlier was completely uncalled for, and he needed to learn that I was someone you didn't want to mess with. Okay, maybe I was just extremely pissed off and wanted to get a little revenge on my newly established mortal enemy.

Yeah, that was it.

"Can I go to bed now?" My best friend yawned again.

"Yeah! Yeah! Go." I shooed her away like a fly. "You big baby!"

Lissa ran off, her fluffy pink slippers a glow in the night. "Night, girl! Love you!"

Unfortunately, Dimitri's all terrain black hummer was parked right next to his cabin, so I had to tip toe over, careful not to make any noise.

I cringed when a twig snapped under my shoe and stared at the cabin, waiting for lights to flicker on and a very pissed off Russian to storm out. Maybe he slept in the nude and I'd catch a good glimpse of all his bare glory.

If that was the case, then I definitely wanted to wake him up.

What? No! Was I crazy? I hated the cop. I had to keep reminding myself of that fact.

Fortunately, the lights didn't flicker on and the night remained silent except for the rustling of the wind, crickets, and occasional hoots from the owls in the trees.

Once I neared the detective's vehicle, I opened the box of donuts and grabbed a single sprinkle one out of the bunch. Then I promptly set the thing down on the hood, pressed my palm against it, and smeared the dessert all the way across. I laughed at the colorful streak it made. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Just what I was going for.

Feeling a little more daring, I grabbed a jelly donut and squirted the purple sticky stuff all over the front window.

This continued on for the next fifteen minutes. I'd throw, smash, and smear the donuts all over the Hummer until it nearly covered the giant thing.

Halfway through the second box, my heart dropped when I heard a door creak open.

Dimitri stepped out of the shadows and stared right at me.

Busted.

I froze briefly, then dropped the pink box of donuts, and made a run for it, dashing into the trees.

I heard the pounding of boots of my pursuer right behind me, and pushed my legs to go even harder. I refused to look back, in fear of tripping and falling flat on my face.

I stopped at the edge of the creek, panicking over what I should do next.

Apparently, the detective decided for me.

Dimitri's hands slammed into my back and my body went soaring through the sky.

_Splash._

I landed in the freezing, ice cold water. Bursting from the water, I gasped, shocked. "Dimitri!"

"What the hell is your problem?" he growled, gracefully hopping off the edge and landing in the creek. The water came up to his waist.

"You shouldn't have just left me there!"

The cop came after me like a predator, sliding through the water like he owned the world. His power was sexy, but absolutely terrifying at the same time. "You were intoxicated on campgrounds. I should kick you out of the program for it."

"Then go ahead! I don't give a fuck what you do." I said. "Everyone always gives up on me anyways. I'm used to it."

"No. I'm not going to do that. That would be too easy, and you'd like that, because you always take the simple way out. I won't let you this time." Dimitri captured my wrists and looked me dead in the eye. "I want you to head back to camp, grab a bucket of water and a towel, and get off all that shit you got on my car."

"Screw that." I laughed harshly, humorlessly. "Besides, why would you want that, Pig? You cops love donuts. Why don't you go clean it off with your tongue?"

Dimitri stared over my shoulder and his eyes flashed black. The instant his body went rigid and he shoved me behind him in order to shield me from whatever danger that currently posed a threat to us, fear ran up my spine, sending chills throughout my body.

"Bear." was all he said.

I glanced around him. My eyes bulged out of my head.

Standing not a hundred yards away, was a humongous, fluffy grizzly bear. He rubbed his back against a tree, scratching it.

That wasn't what scared me, though.

It was the fact that the animal was staring right at us with hungry eyes.

"Don't move," Dimitri whispered tightly. "You can't outrun a bear."

"You're right..." Suddenly, chaos erupted as I made loud splashes and climbed out of the creek as fast as I could. "I just have to outrun you!"

I ran for my life.


	4. Authors note

Hey, guys!

I wrote this because I hate to leave you guys hanging, and that's what I feel I'm doing right now. I haven't had the time nor patience to sit down and write right now. It's been a rough week. A couple of days of ago, a family member had been rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and I've been sleeping and spending all of my time in the hospital with them, waiting and praying for their full recovery. So, I hope you understand that this is the reason for me being absent on Fanfiction. I also have a horrible case of writers block, and to make matters worse, I was attacked by a cat a few nights ago and have developed a pretty serious infection, so I'm heading back into the hospital again tonight :P This is also another reason I haven't been able to write, my hand is very swollen and it's painful to move it. And one more thing, I'm currently job hunting and going on a ton of interviews - another time consumer.

I do have the majority of the next chapters for Saving Me, Cop an Attitude, and Kill or be Killed written, but my heart is not in it and I don't want to whip you guys up a crappy chapter. You guys deserve long, decent updates, and that's what I want to give you. J I hope all of you can understand my situation right now and know that I'm working my hardest to keep updating frequently. I'm just going down a bumpy road right now, and I'm praying everything will get better soon so I can get back into the swing of things. Thank you all for taking the time to read this!

~Ms. Belikov


	5. Chapter 4: Never back down

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Cop an Attitude...<strong>

_Once I neared the detective's vehicle, I opened the box of donuts and grabbed a single sprinkle one out of the bunch. Then I promptly set the thing down on the hood, pressed my palm against it, and smeared the dessert all the way across. I laughed at the colorful streak it made. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Just what I was going for._

_Feeling a little more daring, I grabbed a jelly donut and squirted the purple sticky stuff all over the front window._

_This continued on for the next fifteen minutes. I'd throw, smash, and smear the donuts all over the Hummer until it nearly covered the giant thing._

_Halfway through the second box, my heart dropped when I heard a door creak open._

_Dimitri stepped out of the shadows and stared right at me._

_Busted._

_I froze briefly, then dropped the pink box of donuts, and made a run for it, dashing into the trees._

_I heard the pounding of boots of my pursuer right behind me, and pushed my legs to go even harder. I refused to look back, in fear of tripping and falling flat on my face._

_I stopped at the edge of the creek, panicking over what I should do next._

_Apparently, the detective decided for me._

_Dimitri's hands slammed into my back and my body went soaring through the sky._

_Splash._

_I landed in the freezing, ice cold water. Bursting from the water, I gasped, shocked. "Dimitri!"_

_"What the hell is your problem?" he growled, gracefully hopping off the edge and landing in the creek. The water came up to his waist._

_"You shouldn't have just left me there!"_

_The cop came after me like a predator, sliding through the water like he owned the world. His power was sexy, but absolutely terrifying at the same time. "You were intoxicated on campgrounds. I should kick you out of the program for it."_

_"Then go ahead! I don't give a fuck what you do." I said. "Everyone always gives up on me anyways. I'm used to it."_

_"No. I'm not going to do that. That would be too easy, and you'd like that, because you always take the simple way out. I won't let you this time." Dimitri captured my wrists and looked me dead in the eye. "I want you to head back to camp, grab a bucket of water and a towel, and get off all that shit you got on my car."_

_"Screw that." I laughed harshly, humorlessly. "Besides, why would you want that, Pig? You cops love donuts. Why don't you go clean it off with your tongue?"_

_Dimitri stared over my shoulder and his eyes flashed black. The instant his body went rigid and he shoved me behind him in order to shield me from whatever danger that currently posed a threat to us, fear ran up my spine, sending chills throughout my body._

_"Bear." was all he said._

_I glanced around him. My eyes bulged out of my head._

_Standing not a hundred yards away, was a humongous, fluffy grizzly bear. He rubbed his back against a tree, scratching it._

_That wasn't what scared me, though._

_It was the fact that the animal was staring right at us with hungry eyes._

_"Don't move," Dimitri whispered tightly. "You can't outrun a bear."_

_"You're right..." Suddenly, chaos erupted as I made loud splashes and climbed out of the creek as fast as I could. "I just have to outrun you!"_

_I ran for my life._

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

"God, I hate your face." I said, dunking the sponge into the bucket of hot, soapy water.

Dimitri smiled slyly. "Put a little more elbow grease into it, Hathaway. My hood doesn't look as shiny as I'd like it to."

This earned him a murderous glare. "You should be thanking me for saving your life, Comrade. Not ordering me around like some kind of slave."

If I hadn't decided to pull that little prank on my mortal enemy last night, then that pink box of donuts wouldn't have come in handy when Dimitri raced back to camp and tossed the treats at the pursuing bear. The wild animal had glanced back and forth suspiciously as he scooped up his sugary reward and retreated into the shadows of the woods. I kind of liked him. His name is Yogi.

Sure, as Dimitri pointed out, if I'd been asleep in the recruits cabin as I should have been, none of this would have happened. But I didn't regret what I did because we wouldn't be having this wonderful conversation right now. Note the sarcasm.

The cop narrowed his eyes. "You're delusional. Honestly, you are. What part of 'don't move' did you not understand? You could have gotten us both killed."

I swiped the sponge across the massive window, scrubbing off the crusty purple jelly. "Yeah, but I didn't. I think that's what really counts here, Pig."

"I should have just left you out there," he said coldly.

"Yeah, but you didn't." I smiled triumphantly. "Which means you care for me."

Dimitri's face pinched. It was funny.

"Admit it…" I walked over to him and poked his chest. "You care for me! Say it, come on. You so like me!"

"Like is such a strong word, Hathaway." The detective stared down at me from his menacing height, brown eyes on fire. "And the only reason I threw you over my shoulder and hauled your ass out of there is because I didn't feel like cleaning up the mess the bear would leave behind after he decided to make you his dinner."

Well, wasn't he charming.

Wait…I thought bears only ate salmon and honey? Man, I seriously needed to watch The Office reruns and gather some insight from Dwight. Too bad St. Vladimir's Police Academy didn't have TV's. At least not in the recruits cabin.

"You sacrificed that box of donuts and threw them to that wild animal, just for me. Hold on…give me a moment." Mockingly, I put a hand over my chest and dramatically made a show of getting all choked up before pulling it together. "I'm sorry…it's just. Oh, God. Thank you, Dimitri. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The cop rolled his eyes and stalked off. "Get back to work. Training starts in forty-five."

On impulse, I dunked the sponge, reared my arm back, and slung the soaked thing right at him. It smacked him in the back of the head, then fell to the dirt.  
>Dimitri turned around, eyes black with anger and exasperation. I gulped, suddenly regretting that I'd just seriously pissed off one badass Russian.<p>

"There was a bee on your neck!" I explained innocently. "I didn't want it to sting you! They can be fatal, you know. You're welcome for saving your life _again_. Now you owe me double time—Hey! What are you doing? Don't you dare. No. No. No. No!"

I made a run for it, but Dimitri's arms snapped out and latched around my waist. He pulled me to his body, leaned down and picked up the bucket, and dumped the water on top of my head.

I stared at him with incredulity as I was soaked from head to toe. "You bastard!"

He grinned and walked off without another word.

* * *

><p>I was laughing my ass off.<p>

Dimitri hit Adrian with the taser and he fell to the ground, screaming like a girl, body twitching in agony.

Christian, the detective's second in command and best friend, walked over to Adrian, trying to keep his lips from twitching. He failed, and ended up smiling cynically as he hauled Adrian to his feet. "Good job, man." he gave him a hard pat on the back. "You passed."

"Thanks." Adrian said breathlessly, still a little shook up. He wobbled over and dropped into the seat beside me. "Please don't tell me Sydney saw that."

I looked over at the female instructor, standing in the corner of the room, her arms crossed. Her face was red and her body quaked as she fought off her silent laughter.

"No. You're good. She was in the bathroom. Didn't see a thing." I told Adrian anyways.

"Oh, thank God."

"Are you okay?" Lissa leaned over her seat to look at Adrian. The genuine concern in her lime-green eyes was heartwarming. One thing I admired and adored about my best friend was the fact that she was so innocent and real. Unlike a lot of people I knew, she didn't have secret intentions. Though I hadn't known her for very long, I was absolutely positive she was one person that I could count on, one that would never turn on me, or stab me in the back. Lord knew how many times I'd been burned by the people who I thought were my friends.

"No," Adrian groaned, dragging out the word. "I feel like I've been hit by a train. I need a little pick me up." He slid a silver flask out. I wasn't sure where he hid it, as these uniforms didn't have pockets. Relief and utter joy flooded his face as Adrian unscrewed the cap, and took two long, deep pulls of liquor. It was disturbing that he looked so happy.

"Ah," he said, refreshed. "Much better. Love that burn in ma' belly."

I rolled my eyes and sat up just as the last student tested headed back to his seat.

Pavel, one of the many male instructors at St. Vladimir's Police Academy, stepped forward and stared at all of the recruits, including me. I couldn't help but shrink back. The guy was fucking scary—nearly as scary as Dimitri, and that was saying something. The man was hot like fire and built to perfection too, which just seemed to add to his air of danger. He moved like a predator and walked as if he owned the earth.

"I want you all to come up here and sign out," he said, voice unusually deep. "Ivan is going to add three hours to your physical training. Then you can all head over to law and ethics. See you at four."

There was a chorus of groans as everyone shuffled to their feet.

"That class is the woooooooorstttt." I whined.

* * *

><p>"Ow! Holly mother of hell! That hurt!"<p>

"Oops. Sorry."

I glared at the guy, hoping to burn giant holes into his skull, as he bent down to retrieve my chips.

"Look, my muscles are too sore to be doing any ass kicking today, so I'll let you off the hook." I warned. "Just watch where you're going next time and we won't have a problem."

The guy actually had the nerve to smile. His hazel eyes sparkled with amusement and a little bit of shock. "Should such filthy words be coming out of such a pretty mouth?"

I gritted my teeth. "You know, if I could actually move my leg right now, I'd kick you in the nuts so hard you wouldn't be able to reproduce. That's what I call killing two birds with one stone. I'll be hurting you and doing the world a favor at the same time." With that being said, I marched—well, pathetically limped—off to the usual table in the back of the Mess Hall.

"Whoa. Whoa. Where you going?" The guy ran after me, trotting along at my side like a lost puppy dog.

"To eat dinner."

"But I don't know what your name is."

"That's too bad."

"Wait." The guy grabbed my arm and jerked me to a stop.

A fuse blew off inside, and as I stared him down, ready to start swinging, the guy released me and backed up, flinching and holding his hands up in surrender. "Look...I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I just want to know your name."

"Rose. Hathaway." I bit out.

"I'm Eddie Castile," he gave a casual, lazy grin that suddenly made the anger leave my body.

When he held out his hand, I reluctantly took it.

"It's nice to meet you," he said.

"That's what people tell me." I sat down, picked up the slice of pizza, and sunk my teeth into its doughy flesh.

Not bothering with any invitation, Eddie dropped down beside me and began to peel his orange.

My eyebrows rose in astonishment and respect. "Just a minute ago, I was going to kick your ass. And now you're having dinner with me? You're a brave man, Castile. Very brave."

"What can I say? I like bad girls with a sense of danger. And you fit the profile." he said. "Plus, I want to get to know you better."

"I have a boyfriend." I lied. Well, maybe not. Mason and I had been together before he'd been murdered. Now that he was six feet under, did that make me a widow? No. I think you had to be married for that. Right? I hoped so.

"As a friend," he grinned. "I want to get to know you better as a friend."

"I'm a terrible friend. Just ask Lissa." I said. "Right, Liss?...Liss?"

She didn't seem to hear me, because she was currently engrossed in a deep conversation with Christian. I smiled as I listened to her, happy that she'd taken my advice and was just being herself around instructor Ozera, or Douche bag, as I liked to call him.

"Those are pretty deep," My best friend said, running her fingers up and down his scarred forearm. I think she was just looking for an excuse to touch him. "Why do you let them show?"

Christian shrugged, hovering at the end of the table. "Don't know. Not ashamed of them, I guess."

Lissa shifted in her seat, craning her neck to gaze up at his face. The instant their eyes connected, a silent explosion went off. Although they'd met only a few weeks ago, their connection was so strong, you felt as if you could reach out and touch it.

My best friend cleared her throat, then glanced down, avoiding his burning ice-blue eyes. "You have to cut vertically in order to succeed," she told him, indicating to the scars on his arms and wrists.

Christian's lip curled into a bemused smile. "I'll remember that for next time. Thanks for the tip."

"Just doing my job as a good student," she said innocently, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Well, you deserve a golden star for your efforts." he said. I couldn't help but notice the way he seemed mesmerized by my best friend, infatuated even, like he was unable to tear his eyes off of her. I saw the glint in them; he was attracted to Lissa. _Very_ attracted. She'd caught his attention and held it, which by looking at the strict, slightly depressed instructor, was not something that happened very often.

A pang of jealousy struck me in the heart, its pain as foreign as it was uncomfortable.

Get a grip, you jealous bitch! I scolded myself.

Lissa pulled up the sleeve of her sweater, baring a track full of tiny white scars. "I only know the vertical trick because my ex Aaron showed me," she said, revealing shockingly intimate details about her life. These secrets were something she didn't even like talking about with me. "He said that if you're going to cut yourself, then do it right the first time. Because if you don't succeed, that means you're a failure at both life and death."

I could have sworn I heard a growl come out of Christian's mouth. "Is Aaron enrolled at this academy?" he asked with an edge to his voice.

"Aaron? Oh, no. He lives back in my old town." My best friend said.

"That's too bad," the instructor said. "I would have loved to have Pretty Boy as my student."

Lissa blushed, as if touched.

I cleared my throat, trying to ease some of the tension. "So, hey, Pyro. Wanna sit down and eat with us? You look like you could put some more meat on those bones." Pyromaniac was the nickname I'd given Christian on my second day here. The instructor was an absolute lunatic and genius when it came to weapons and explosives, specifically the ones that caused a lot of fire. He seemed to be fascinated with it.

"No. I'm good." he said, then glanced down at my tray. "Hey, you mind laying off on the cornbread? The other students might like to have some too."

I glared at him as Lissa and Eddie coughed to cover up their laughter.

"I'm not fat! So what if I was stuck in the bathroom window, for like, thirteen hours straight? I have wide hips and a big booty, which I'm very proud of, okay? I love my curves. You're just jealous that you don't have any. And besides, those students are none of my concern. If they want some cornbread, they should show up a few minutes early, before I arrive."

Christian drummed his thumbs against the table, mouth twitching. "Is it true that you threatened a young lady by the name of Meredith because she wanted seconds on her cornbread?"

"It was the last slice left!" I defended myself. "And she was getting greedy with the food, too. If anything, you should be yelling at her instead of me. Girl could stand to lose a few pounds anyways. She's going to eat you out of this academy."

Christian, Eddie, and Lissa had stilled. All of their eyes were trained behind me.

"What is it?" I asked, looking over my shoulder. "Oh, shit. Hey, Meredith! How you doing, girl? I like that shirt. Is that a new shirt? I like that shirt. Either way, it looks fantastic on you."

Meredith stared at me, eyes wide and full of hurt. "You think I'm fat?" her voice cracked.

"What are you talking about? Pfft. Don't listen to Lissa. You look great."

Meredith stared at me for a second longer, then let the tray drop from her hands and ran out of the Mess Hall, screaming and crying. Probably to head for the bathroom to stick her finger down her throat. Man, I really needed to work on learning how to be nice to people. But that would require me actually caring about their feelings, which I didn't.

I turned back in my seat and resumed eating. "What?" I said defensively, around a mouthful of cheese and pepperoni.

"Go talk to her," Christian said, tone leaving absolutely no room for argument. "And tell her you are terribly sorry. I swear, if I have to deal with another suicidal teenage girl or bitching, complaining parents, I am going to stab someone. And it will most likely be you, Hathaway. Go!"

I ran off.

* * *

><p>The weeks following were brutal, to put it lightly. Dimitri, thanks to him being the head instructor and all, was able to call all of the shots. He upped training time a good four hours. Combined with our usual three hours of physical training and five hours of academics—yeah, you actually had to have brains to be a cop, not just muscles and a love for black coffee. I was disappointed, too—it was, as Dimitri had put it, hell on earth.<p>

I hated getting the cop as my instructor, because out of all the instructors, he was by far the most ruthless. Especially during our one-on-one trainings. I swear he did it for pleasure, just to see me in pain.

He'd make me run through the forest for hours. I'd fall on rocks, tree stumps, twist my ankles in natural potholes, get blisters the size of fists on my feet. Back at camp was the worst. God, I hated the obstacles courses with a passion, mostly because I wasn't able to succeed and pass that crucial part of my physical course. Even Lissa, with some difficultly and blood shed, passed!

That wasn't the end of the training, either. Dimitri would make me climb ropes until my knuckles cracked and my skin began to bleed. And one of the most torturous things possible—two metal buckets filled to the maximum with water. I'd had to balance them with my arms up on each side, making my body the shape of a T. Then hold them there until the cop told me to put them down—which was forever later, and each time I did the exercise, it would increase in water content, bucket size, and length of time.

Oh, and as for the times I passed out from exhaustion? Just straight up fell to the ground in the middle of training, fainting in a pile of my own limbs? Dimitri would pour icy water on my face and continue to do so until I floated back to consciousness again.

I took a deep breath and studied my naked reflection. "Not too bad," I admired, smiling wickedly. Maybe the endless training was horrific, and like, the worst thing ever, but the results were definitely paying off.

My body had been satisfying to me before, but now—not that I was bragging or anything—it was absolutely incredible. I had more muscle definition and strength in my arms, making simple things like carrying text books and doing pushups so much easier. My stomach, which had been flat and a little jiggly before, was nice and hard now, the tan skin drawn tight over my barely-there, lady abs. My legs and butt were my favorite body parts. They were firm and beautiful and shapely.

"Hathaway! Are you in there?"

I jumped at the sound of Dimitri's deep voice coming from the other side of the girls showers door, then scowled in anger and annoyance a second later. The last thing I wanted to deal with right now was him, and I most definitely did not want to train. It seemed as if I'd gotten only two seconds of sleep and a half a second to take a shower. Was it really time to train again already?

I glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Great," I muttered to myself. I was fifteen minutes late.

"Hathaway!"

"Go away!" I called back.

"Rose…" he warned.

"Fine," I said, gritting my teeth. "Just come on in. I'm not finished getting ready yet."

I'd learned long ago that fighting Dimitri on anything was like trying to take a fresh steak from a starving lion: It was impossible, potentially deadly, and just downright stupid. The cop was one stubborn motherfucker that never backed down, especially when it came to me.

Wasn't I special.

The door opened—I swear—angrily. I sensed and heard Dimitri walk in and cautiously look around. What was he expecting? Me to jump out of the shadows with a knife and tackle him? Why was he always so paranoid around me?

Oh, right. I was the number one suspect in my boyfriends murder case. Facepalm! How could I forget?

"Morning, Comrade." I walked out of the shower area and into the locker room.

The cop's eyes widened a fraction before he caught himself. "Hathaway. Where are your clothes?"

"You're the one who came into the girls bathroom. What did you expect to find?" I shrugged, heading for my pile of clean clothes. "Told you I wasn't ready. You're the one that was yelling to come in."

"I was yelling for you to hurry because you are late." Dimitri said. "Get dressed."

"I will after you stop staring at me."

"Right. I apologize." he quickly turned around, giving me his back.

I smiled to myself as I ripped a fresh pair of jeans and a white T-shirt from the tangle. After pulling on a favorite bra and a comfortable pair of underwear, I quickly got dressed.

"All right," I said, hopping into mismatched socks. "You can now look at me without becoming consumed by desire and hunger. Hey, is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

"In this case, it is a gun." Dimitri turned around and disdainfully rolled his eyes. There was a large, impressive—and intimidating—gun in a holster hooked to the left side of his waistband. "I need you." he said.

My eyebrows shot up as I tied my tennis shoes. "You don't say,"

He dismissed that with a snicker. "I need you to come with me to question a woman by the name of Eleanor Ashford. Considering you know her, I was hoping you could get her to talk and answer a few of my questions. I've been having no luck."

"Masons nana?" I stood and straightened my shirt. When Dimitri nodded, I laughed in a short burst. "You ain't going to get shit out of the woman that's going to help you with the investigation. My advice? Don't waste your time. Besides, what does it even matter? According to you and everyone else, the murderer is standing right here." I pointed to myself.

The cop ignored that. "I'm at the end of my rope here, Rose." I was thrown off the tone of his voice. It wasn't the usual hard-ass detective one. It was rough and genuinely exhausted, like he hadn't slept good in weeks.

Concern settled in my chest. I checked under his eyes. They were slightly swollen and deep purple.

"How's that coffee working for you?" I asked.

"It's what's keeping me awake," he answered simply. "Anyways, I really need—"

"You need rest. Badly." I interrupted. "Before anything else, you need rest. That way you can think, act like a normal person, and, maybe if I'm lucky, not be so homicidal towards me."

He pursed his lips, the offer extremely appealing to him. "No. It's fine. I'm fine—"

"True that. But I'm talking in the mental sense. You're exhausted." Okay, so maybe I had a hidden agenda. Like, say, wanting the day off training and school? Jeez. That sounded like heaven right now. "Look, maybe you can head back to your cabin, watch a movie, get something to eat. I'll even make you some Borscht or whatever you Russians like. How does that sound? Oh. What about cookies. Mmmm. Actually, I kind of want some now that I thought about it. I wonder if Jacob is in the kitchen. He makes the best oatmeal and raisin cookies in the universe. I'm not even kidding. And guess what else? I can't stand oatmeal or raisins and I still love them! Wow. Now that's saying something. Do you like oatmeal and raisin cookies? You like a man who has a big appetite, so I'm assuming that you do. I'll head down to the kitchen right now and put in a special order for Jacob to make those oatmeal and raisin cookies. Have you tried them before? Did I already ask you that? I can't remember—"

"Rose," Dimitri said gently. "I will go back to my cabin and get some rest so long as you shut the fuck up about the oatmeal and raisin cookies."

I laughed, surprising myself. "What can I say? Food turns me into a happy conversationalist."

The cops lips twitched. "I can see that." he said.

Man, I loved making him smile—and on rare occasions laugh. It was the highlight of my day. It was the most incredible thing seeing a stoic man like Dimitri lighten up and show a small slice of his true self. It was beautiful. The most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, actually.

"All right," I said, heading for the door. "I'll head to the kitchen. You go back to your cabin and put on your favorite movie."

"I'm not your grandmother, Hathaway." he said. "I'm pretty sure I can handle myself."

"Riiiight." I said, then dashed out of the building.

Twenty minutes later, I weaved towards the detective's cabin, struggling with the task of keeping the mountain of food from tipping over and falling onto the dirt.

I pounded a fist against the oak door, cursing when I spilled hot soup onto my T-shirt.

The door opened.

"Hey, Pig. I got the Borscht you wanted. And don't get your knickers in a bunch, Jacob was there, and luckily, he did have a fresh batch of oatmeal and raisin cookies waiting. Though, I'm not sure you deserve them with the way you talked to me earlier—Oh, hi." I lost my train of thought when a beautiful woman appeared behind Dimitri. She had smoldering chocolate-brown eyes and long ass, gorgeous hair the flowed in streaks of mahogany and gold.

"You're really pretty," I blurted, a note of accusation and jealousy in my tone. Why the hell was I jealous that the cop had a beautiful woman in his room? It wasn't like it should be surprising. Dimitri was too good looking for his own good. It was only natural that he had a smoking hot woman to be with. And kiss. And caress. And having amazingly hot sex with.

Okay, I had to get the mental scissors and cut that shit out of my brain.

Putting a cap on my emotions, I took a deep breath and said, "So, yeah. Enjoy your food, Comrade. And don't forget to, you know, get some sleep."

On impulse, I shot the woman an evil look in warning.

"Thank you, Roza." Dimitri said, eyes sparkling.

Why was the bastard so happy?

Whoa. I was seriously angry. Get a grip, you dumb bitch! I scolded myself. He doesn't want you!

"No worries." I said, then turned around and ran away, trying to get far away from the two.

"Oh, and Rose?" The cop called out.

I flinched and came to a screeching halt. I feared this would happen. "Yes?" I said tightly, without turning around.

"The recruits are waiting for you. Out by the creek. Water training." he informed me.

"WHAT?" I squeaked, spinning around in rage. "Why didn't you excuse me for the day?"

"Now, why would I do that?"

"Because I was so nice as to bring you delicious food!"

"Get to training."

I screamed in fury, but Dimitri chose to ignore it by grinning and slamming his door shut.


	6. Chapter 5: Strike three, You're out

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

_Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!_

I was having a really good dream. It had something to do with sunbathing and a sandy beach and Dimitri rubbing coconut oil on my back.

_Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!_

The infuriating noise continued to shriek at me, demanding my attention.

_Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Dimitri gave me one of his rare smiles that turned me to goo on the inside, made me feel ridiculously happy, stupid. He hooked two of his long fingers in each side of my sparkling red bikini bottom and began to tug them down my thighs at a slow, taunting, playful pace. My toes curled in anticipation at the raw, hungry look he gave me—

_Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Goddamn it! I slammed through the layers of sleep when my cell rang a fourth time, shooting straight up in my bed and tumbling off the side, landing on the cold, hard cement ground.

My cell was doing a little dance next to my grass-stained jeans, spinning in circles, having crawled its way out of the pocket.

Recruits stirred in the cabin, moaning and rolling around in their beds at the interruption of their much needed sleep. I guess I wasn't the only one who was bloody, bruised, and unfathomably sore from the past weeks rigorous training. If you could even call it training—it was more like torture.

Not wanting to get caught and kicked out of the academy for having a cell phone, I grabbed the device, flipped it open and held it to my ear, and slipped out of the cabin into the crisp, cool summer night.

The city didn't do justice to the night. When unblocked from the buildings, lights, and cars, the violet satin sky was beautiful, a million stars hanging like diamonds. The moon seemed huge, like you could reach out and grab it, casting an eerie silver glow over the acres of surrounding forest and Montana Mountains.

I shivered when I felt eyes on me, but came to the conclusion a few seconds later that Yogi was just checking in to make sure I was okay. Dimitri had told me there had been multiple bear sightings at St. Vladimir's Police Academy recently, forcing the camp to lock up food and close the kitchen even earlier than usual. Bummer.

The cop had told me that human food attracted bears, then had the nerve to give me an accusing, It's-all-your-damn-fault glare, to which I responded with an all-too sweet smile that was better than telling him to fuck off to his face, and he knew it.

I mean, hello! Dimitri had been the one to throw the donuts out in the forest. Who could honestly blame Yogi? I would have mauled a few humans to get just one of those jelly filled ones. They were preposterously delicious!

"This better be important," I said into my cell, gritting my teeth to keep from screaming. "You just woke me up from a _really_ good dream—"

"_Rose! Rose! Rose! Rose!"_ Tasha's hysterical voice slammed into me, and my blood ran cold, but not from the frosty weather. Her tone then dropped to a low, frightened whisper. "You have to help me!"

It was hard to distinguish what she said next—she was sobbing and crying so badly into the phone—but I did make out three words that changed everything: Ambrose, hurt, hospital.

"Tasha! Get a grip!" I was already on the go, sprinting across the dirt length of the campground and into the pitch black shadows of the forest. "I need you to be strong for yourself, for both of us. Or else I won't be able to help you. Tell me exactly where you are."

There was a sniffle, and then a long pause, like she was working hard to collect herself and put a cap on her emotions. Though I couldn't see it, I knew she nodded her head wildly and wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve when she said, "Okay. Sorry." I was surprised that her voice only cracked slightly. "I'm at a park. The one next to Ambrose's, just three blocks down the road. Oh, God, Rose. When he finds me, he's going to kill me, I swear. I should have never ran away—"

"Shhhh. You can't afford to think like that. And nothing's going to happen to you, I swear of it." I said gently, sliding down a small dirt hill on my bottom, jumping to my feet, and heading for the huge yellow school bus.

Crickets chirped in the darkness. Owls hooted from high in the trees. There was a rustling in the bushes near me, a low, inhuman snarl. The sounds of nature were equally calming and absolutely petrifying, kicking my adrenaline level up to the brilliant shining stars. Once I reached the vehicle, I hopped up the stairs, grabbed the keys out of the glove box, dropped down in the seat, and slammed the key into the ignition.

"Really? Do you mean that—" Suddenly she gasped and whispered, "Oh, Rose. Oh, no. No. No. No. No!"

My whole body tensed, my heart freezing a beat. "What is it?"

"There he is! On the corner!" she whispered fiercely. "He's looking for me, Rose. He's going to find me. What do I do? I'm going to go out there and tell him I'm so sorry—"

"Don't you dare," I growled. "Get low to the ground, don't move, and if he sees you, scream as loud as you can. I'll find you, baby girl. Do you understand me?"

There was a long heavy pause, a shuffling in the background. Tasha breathed, "I understand."

I tossed the phone aside and started the engine. It roared like a beast in the quiet night. I tensed, knowing I had just woken up the entire camp and a soon-to-be pissed off Russian.

I was about to slam my foot down on the pedal when a knock made me turn my head to look out the glass door.

I screamed in horror.

Lissa screamed.

Then I screamed again.

Lissa screamed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed, opening the folding doors. She climbed in and took the seat closest to the driver's seat, leaning forward anxiously.

"I could ask you the same thing," Lissa said. Her hair was disheveled, jade-green eyes wide, mouth swollen from sleep. Pink bunny slippers adorned her feet.

"Go back to the cabin!"

"Hell no. Just go!"

"Lissa…" I warned.

"Rose…" she mimicked. "I'm your best friend. Whatever deep shit you're getting yourself into right now, I want to be a part of. Besides…there's no way I'm going back out there alone. I could have sworn Yogi was chasing me!"

I cursed nastily, banged my hand against the steering wheel, and navigated through the gloomy forest. My only hope was that I didn't slam into a tree or drive us off a cliff. Not that it mattered—if by some miracle I managed to make it out of this situation alive and get back to camp, Dimitri was going to kill me with his bare hands.

* * *

><p>Tasha was exactly where I expected her to be—at Charleston Falls Park, located just two blocks away from Ambrose's parent's multimillion dollar estate.<p>

The second I cut off the school bus engine that had no doubt awoken the entire rich, snobby surburban neighborhood—not like I cared, making a grand entrance was my thing—the night stilled and carried an ominous silence among the summer storm.

Maybe I was just paranoid, but everything seemed too quiet. Probably the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears. Instinctively, I knew this little rescue mission wasn't going to go as smoothly as I had hoped. In the distance a cat growled at an unknown threat. The sound of the wind seemed almost sinister. Lissa and I crossed the street, holding hands (She was absolutely terrified and refused to be separated from me.)

I didn't even register the bitter cold or roaring lightening and heavy rain falling from above, which was a first—I absolutely loved to dance in the rain. It was free, wild, refreshing. Everything I wanted to be but couldn't because of the hellish situation I was currently in and the deal I had made with Dimitri.

There were only three reasons I kept going and didn't run away from St. Vladimir's: One, Lissa. Two, a chance for a clear record and a second chance at life. And three, Dimitri was my only hope for finding Mason's killer and bringing that bastard to justice.

"Come on, baby girl." Grabbing Tasha's arm, I hauled her to her feet and wasted no time in heading back to the blaring-yellow vehicle. I made sure to be extra cautious of my surroundings and anything that might be lurking in the silent shadows.

Regrettably, I was so stupid as to not pay attention to what was on the other side of the street, hiding behind the bus. That is exactly where Ambrose stepped away from, revealing himself.

Ambrose was gorgeous. Nowhere near Dimitri's level of scorching hotness, (Did I _really _just think that about the Pig?), but gorgeous nonetheless. He wore a white muscle shirt that glowed in the obsidian sky and showed off his insanely masculine body. Loose black track pants and a pair of navy-blue Nike's completed his ensemble.

His stride was rigid and purposeful, like a starving wolf on the hunt. And he'd found his prey. Eyes like black ice fixed on Tasha, his lamb, and his face was pinched with fury, the skin drawn tight over his stark, ruthless features.

Tasha whimpered.

Lissa growled.

I snarled, "Back the fuck up!"

Ambrose ignored us, his full mouth lifting in a gesture that was more baring teeth than smile. "Hi, baby. Where've you been? I've been lookin' all over the place for you." His tone couldn't have been more hostile and vindictive. "Where are you going, baby? Come back to bed. I want you in my bed. Now."

"She's going with me, Ambrose." I interjected, stepping in front of Tasha protectively. Lissa went behind Tasha, sandwiching her between our bodies.

"She's coming with us," My best friend said challengingly, playing with fire. I stifled my smile. She put on a brave front, but she was scared shitless right now.

"And there isn't a damn thing you can do about it." I said. "So suck on that!"

"Let her speak for herself," Ambrose snarled, his icy gaze briefly leaving what he believed to be his possession, something he owned, something he could do whatever he damn well pleased with.

Fuck that.

"Where are you going, baby?" he repeated, voice taunting now. "You're not thinking about leaving me, are you? You wouldn't hurt me like that, would you? You know I need you, baby. You're my girl."

Tasha's whole character changed. She went from being a strong woman willing to fight for her freedom, to a submissive little child terrified of the wrath she would have to face if she didn't listen. I stared deep into her enormous ice-blue eyes and was shocked at what I found: Paralyzing fear mixed with a sick love, fascination, and cold obsession.

This woman was wholly in love with her abuser, the man who had repeatedly raped and beat her since the very first day she was sold to his family at the tender age of thirteen.

If there is one thing I learned in life it's that wolves and lambs should never interact, much less fall in love.

"Come home with me, baby." Ambrose said, pulling at invisible strings, controlling Tasha like a puppet. Oh, he knew how to work her. Knew exactly what to say to get her right where he wanted her. The lies rolled off his tongue so naturally it was sickening. "I am so sorry about what happened tonight. I..I just lost control. That wasn't me back there, you know I couldn't help it. Don't you believe me, baby? I swear on my life it will never happen again. I'll cut off both of my arms before I ever even think about putting a hand on you. Come on, baby. Come home…"

Ambrose stepped forward, went to grab for Tasha.

Lissa lunged forward and decked him. He dropped to the ground, knocked out cold.

I looked at her with wide eyes.

"What? I'm sorry! I panicked!" she shrieked, cradling her throbbing fist and hopping around on one foot. "Holy mother of flapjacks! That hurt way more than I thought it would!"

Admiration, respect, and amazement consumed me, taking over every fiber of my being. "Lissa," I breathed. "I think I'm in love."

Then I grabbed a thrashing Tasha and dragged her to the bus. Lissa hauled ass out of the town before the police could show while I worked hard to restrain Tasha.

* * *

><p>"If any of you even think about breathing a word about this to the instructors…" I whispered yelled as Lissa and I helped Tasha into the recruit's cabin. "I will neuter you with my bare hands. And as for the ladies that make up 2% of this camp, let's just say that I keep a kitchen knife under my bed and I'm not afraid to use it…to adjust the size of your tits until I am wholly satisfied."<p>

Okay, I only used the last part for dramatic affect. And it worked. Because everyone was looking at me like I was a patient that had escaped from a mental hospital. Which was good, because it meant that they would listen to me. One never not listened to a crazy person, because that crazy person never joked when it came to threats. They merely made good on their promises.

It was just before Five AM and time for training. The instructors would be coming in soon to make sure we were awake and ready to go.

Just as I heard a set of heavy footsteps, I screamed at Tasha to climb underneath the bed and remain there until I told her otherwise.

"Don't make a sound!" I hissed, and all of the recruits tensed and waited.

Christian, Pavel, and Ivan entered the cabin first, followed by Sydney and that chick I had found giggling with the cop in his cabin, and finally, Dimitri himself.

They all resumed identical positions against the wall—bodies straight and rigid, faces set in stone, and arms crossed behind their backs. They looked like badass soldier ninjas. It was totally one of the most awesome things I had ever seen.

Dimitri stepped forward, and his obsidian gaze landed on me. The expression on his face was discerning—that was the only way I could describe it. The taunting twist of his full lips. His brows drawn down in mockery. The violent sparkle in his eyes.

I was absolutely terrified, and had an instinctual feeling that, though Dimitri was a cop, he wasn't necessarily the good guy. Quite the opposite, in fact, I thought as his psychotically angry demeanor scorched my skin when he stepped closer.

"Got a problem, Cop?" I asked, swallowing hard on a suddenly dry throat. "Why are you all up in my grill?"

He began to circle around me, eyes trailing up and down my disheveled form, sizing me up, like a hungry shark inspecting its next meal.

"You look awfully dirty," Dimitri stopped right in front of me, apparently done with his meticulous examination.

"Yeah," I said, desperately trying to keep my cool and the guilt off my face. "Like all of the other recruits, I was at training for several grueling hours in the forest. Things are bound to get sweaty and dirty when you're army crawling in the mud under barbwire. I won't even get started on the rope training."

"Hmmm," he hummed, eyes briefly leaving mine to scan the small sea of students who were tidy before returning to mine. The heat of him intensified until I felt like I was drowning in it. "That's strange to me, because if I recall correctly, St. Vladimir's follows a strict shower after class then go straight to bed routine."

"And thank God for that," I overly laughed. "I hate to be _that _person, but some of ya'll can clear out a room once you get sweating. Jesus. Oh, and that's one more thing I want to thank him for—outdoor training. Without it, the stench would singe off my eyebrows. Know what I'm saying?"

See, this is what I do when I get nervous. I blabber on about nonsense for what seems like forever, and even I don't understand a word I'm saying. But you didn't need to understand in order to know that I was guilty, and more importantly, lying. It was written all over my face.

Dimitri defiantly knew _something_ was up, he was a detective trained to study peoples behavior, their actions, the way they talked and see who was responsible. But for some reason—maybe he just wanted to scare the living shit out of me—he didn't call me out. He simply gave me that knowing look that made me jump out of my own skin.

"My point is, Ms. Hathaway," Dimitri murmured so low only I could hear. "You were freshly showered when you went to sleep last night."

"Are you spying on me, Cop?" I was breathless now, but it had nothing to do with fear.

"Of course," he said immediately. "As head instructor, it is my job to keep an eye on all of my students and know what they are doing at all times."

I sucked in a ragged breath. He knew! He totally knew about the school bus!

But for some unfathomable reason that struck me stupid, he didn't open his mouth about it to the others and get me kicked out of the police academy.

"Besides, you are the number one suspect in the case of Mason Ashford. Without you, it would go cold. And I can't afford to let that happen. And I especially can't afford to let you get away from me."

Motherfucker. Bingo! That was the answer to the unfathomable reason mystery. He was unable to let me go because he was still trying to pin me to that goddamn murder. But without any evidence or proof to tie me to the scene, he was SOL.

I could easily runaway. That was the smart decision. Go before I was wrongly accused of a crime I didn't commit because I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. But I wasn't about to do that. Fleeing would show guilt, appear as if I was hiding something, and I sure as hell wasn't about to give the cops or people of Charleston Falls, Montana anymore than they had already taken from me.

"Answer my question, Ms. Hathaway." The cop said, a razor-sharp edge to his velvety voice.

"What question?"

"Why are you so dirty?"

"Oh, believe me, if I was dirty, you would know it." I winked. "_Trust_ me."

The look he gave me sucked all of the sarcasm out of my body.

"I was out…" I scratched my head, frantically searching for an excuse. "Picking berries! Yeah! That's it! I was out…picking berries."

Dark brows shot up. "Picking berries?"

"Yep," I said seriously. "The kitchens were closed and I was starving…so I picked some berries and ate them."

Dimitri stared at me a long moment, amusement making the edges of his immaculate mouth twitch. Then he turned around and clapped his hands roughly. "All right, everybody. I want to give you the honor of meeting someone truly beautiful, both on the inside and out, who I hold dear to my heart and respect the hell out of…" he went over and draped an arm over the insanely gorgeous woman's slender shoulders.

There was something oddly familiar about her, but I was far too angry and jealous to even try to put a finger on it.

"This is Viktoria. Your new instructor. She is new to America and you will treat her with every ounce of respect in which you treat all of your instructors." Dimitri introduced, not bothering to conceal the utter happiness and peace on his face. "Don't let the pretty face fool you. She is an excellent sharp-shooter, has a third-degree black belt in Tae-kwon Do, and can easily—"

"Kick your ass," Viktoria finished, waving shyly. "Hi, everyone. Please call me Vika."

"Right." Dimitri chuckled richly, and a stab of such hatred shot through me. Why couldn't I make him happy like that?

More importantly: Why the fuck did I even care? I hated his guts! Hated everything about the cop.

* * *

><p><strong>LPOV:<strong>

"This is totally cool," I said, twisting my hands anxiously on the steering wheel. The track ahead of me lined with cones looked so thrilling, I couldn't wait to slam my foot down on the gas pedal and beat the best time so far, which belonged to Rose.

My best friend had scored and passed part 1 of the driving course today, shocking everyone with the speed she used and the time she scored—10.5 seconds.

Sure it had taken several attempts, an inflamed car, and a close heart attack for Dimitri when she'd nearly rolled it—but she passed and that's what counts. Her words. Not mine. Bitch was crazy. That's all I had to say.

"It won't be if we both die." Christian muttered dryly. "Jesus Christ. I fucking hate teenagers."

Ouch. I shot him a look as we waited our turn in line. "How old are you again?"

"Twenty-three."

"And you hate teenagers? You're practically one yourself. Oh, the irony."

"Hey. Hey. Hey. Watch the road, Princess!" Christian put his hands over mine, jerking it to the side. "You almost clipped Ivan's ankles."

"Sorry." I said automatically. Looking over, I noticed a fresh layer of sweat had bloomed over his skin. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, Princess. Keep your eyes on the track please."

"We haven't started yet," I pointed out. "You're terrified of cars, aren't you?"

His shocked face filled with raw emotion, telling me I'd hit the nail on the head. He quickly regained control. "My parents got trapped inside a burning car and it exploded before ambulances arrived, obviously killing them both. So yeah, I've never really been a big fan of automobiles, if that answers your question."

"It certainly does," I said heavily. "I'm not sure if this makes things better or worse, but I just want you to know that I understand how you feel."

Christian scoffed. "Thanks for the pity, Princess. But I highly doubt you do have any clue of my feelings."

"My entire family was killed in a car crash. I was the only one who survived." I told him. "The car smashed into a tree, caught in flames, and I just managed to climb out in time. The paramedics called me a miracle. I had broken nearly every bone in my body, severely punctured major organs when a huge piece of metal went through my stomach, and had lost so much blood. I was only six at the time."

His face lost all its dark amusement and became very solemn and utterly stunned, his eyes trained on my face, intent on studying my every feature to see if I was telling the truth. When he found what he was looking for, his gaze widened a fraction and he was about to say something, but it was our turn. I slammed my foot down on the gas pedal and hit the course full force.

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

"How'd it go?" I asked Adrian on our walk back to the recruit's cabin, not really giving a damn about his answer. I was beyond exhausted, and it hurt to do everything, including talking. It just seemed to suck the nonexistent energy right out of my body.

Adrian's lips curved and he remained silent.

"You smug bastard!" I socked him in the arm. "Talk!"

"Ouch! What the hell?" His smile became more prominent, exposing a set of perfect, slightly pointy teeth that gleamed under the moonlight.

"Talk, please. Now I'm really _dying_ to hear." I begged.

"You are going to wish you didn't say that," In one fluid motion, Adrian went over in front of me, grabbed the back of my thighs, and hauled me up, giving me a piggy back ride. I might have been grateful for the lift had it not made every single one of my enflamed muscles scream in protest.

"I slept with her." Adrian confessed, not bothering to hide the male pride in his voice. The victorious expression on his face, more specifically the devilish grin, was one of a man with a new toy. A new toy that he wanted to play with over and over and over again. One he didn't want to share with anyone else.

Oh, lord. Adrian Ivashkov was in love. I never thought I'd live to see the day.

"Shit! No way! You shagged the instructor." I hopped off his back, stunned. Then promptly shoved him. "You did? Tell me all about it! No, wait! Do the carpets match the drapes?

Adrian turned around to face me. "Hardwood floors, if you know what I mean. Smooth and shiny. Exquisite as hell, too."

A deep, hearty laughter filled the air around us. Eddie ran up and the two exchanged a hyped, manly greeting with tons of fierce half-hugs, hard pats on the back, and clapping of palms.

"I didn't believe you could do it," Eddie shook his head in bewilderment as he fished through his blue Nike pants for his wallet, then he pulled out three hundreds and four twenties and handed them to his buddy. "I owe you twenty."

"You better keep good on that," Adrian grinned boldly, stuffing the bills into his pocket.

"Congrats, man! You did it! You nailed the instructor!" Eddie exclaimed, and the excited masculine exchanges began again. "_I cannot believe it!_"

I began to laugh, but choked on it and made a strangled sound in the back of my throat when I noticed who was standing behind Adrian not ten feet away. Sydney.

The instructor was wearing her usual white top, camo pants, and brown boots. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her head was tilted back, head resting against the wood of the recruit's cabin, blazing eyes trained on Adrian.

Adrian saw my expression and his eyes flashed. "She right behind me?"

"You're in deep shit." was all I said.

"Ivashkov." Sydney bellowed, stepping forward, boots crunching against the gravel.

Eddie bolted, which is probably what I should have done. But it wasn't as if I was guilty. I had no part whatsoever in their deal.

I ended up staying in hopes of Sydney pulling out a can of Whoop Ass and laying a beating hard on Adrian.

Adrian spun around with a charming smile twisting his immaculate mouth. "Well, hel_lo_, Instructor Sage. Beautiful night out tonight, isn't it? You look even more breathtaking, just for an FYI."

"What is that in your pocket, Ivashkov?" Sydney stepped nose-to-nose with him, cocking her head to the side, eyes challenging him.

Of course that only drove the Horndog even wilder for her.

"It's not a gun," he told her. "So I must be happy to see you. Which I am. Very, _very_ happy."

Sydney reached forward, shoved her fingers into his pocket, and pulled out the cash.

"Do that again," Adrian said. "Just move your fingers a little farther to the left."

"I should kick you out of the academy for this," she held it up, and he shrank back.

"Oh, come on, Syd. It's no big deal—"

"Are you kidding?" the instructor scoffed. "It _is_ a big deal. You nearly cheated me out of the deal." With a wicked grin, she shoved the money into her bra, turned around, and began to walk away, leaving Adrian gaping.

"Oh, and Ivashkov?" Sydney paused. "Make sure I get that extra twenty."

"That is completely unfair!" Adrian cried, throwing his hands skyward. "We should split it."

"Now why would I do that?" she asked. "I did most of the work, after all. I earned this."

"Don't force me to go to the police station and file a report. I'm younger than you, a student. And you're the instructor. Clearly, you took advantage of me on that bathroom floor. I feel violated right now. Like a dirty boy. Perhaps we should go back to that bathroom and you can help clean me up. I could go for a sponge bath right now."

"First of all: you are three years older than I. And second: You were more than willing. No one held against their will fist pumps that much." With that being said, Sydney disappeared into her cabin.

Adrian stared at the shut door with amazement sparkling in his gem-green eyes. "God, that woman makes me crazed."

"You fist pump during sex?" I giggled, which soon turned into an obnoxious fit of uncontrollable giggles.

* * *

><p>I reached my bed, fell back against the thin mattress, and groaned in relief. "This is heaven," I hummed, closing my eyes and relishing in the stillness. The brutal hours of training, attending class, and studying, had been doing a little more than taking their toll on my body and mind. But now, strangely, I felt smarter and stronger than I ever had in my life, like I had the world at my very fingertips.<p>

Plus, my body looked amazing. I was a killer with a full chest, sharp, womanly curves, smooth skin, and muscled limbs packed with plenty of power.

Something cold and fleshy wrapped around my ankle, making me shoot out of bed and face the source of the threat with my feet planted on the ground and my fists raised.

Tasha's head poked out from underneath the bunk bed a second later. "Rose…you're back." she moaned, squinting at the overhead light.

"Jesus Christ!" I hissed, running over and dragging her out by her hands.

Tasha stood up slowly. Then took a few moments to stretch out her sore, tight limbs, crack her neck and shoulders, and dust off her pants and shirt. "God, that feels good."

I stared at her, eyes wide. "Have you been there all day?"

"Fourteen hours and twenty-six minutes." Tasha said. "Sorry…it's just that the clock on the wall...I've been staring at it all day."

"Why in the hell would you do that?"

"You told me to stay there until you told me to move."

"Oh, my God," I breathed, unable to believe that I had completely forgotten about the runaway. "I am _so_ sorry—"

I stopped when I felt the air shift around and turn icy around us, sensing his menacing presence in the doorway. Tasha stared over my shoulder, sapphire eyes enormous on her classic boned face.

I turned around, wincing. Can you say busted? Pavel stood there, looking cold as ever, hip cocked against the doorframe. A chilly breeze carried through the room, tousling the instructor's thick mass of dark hair. His blazing gray eyes landed on me for a micro-second, then shifted over to thoroughly search Tasha's face, flashing and calculating.

"You want to tell me who the hell this is, Hathaway?"


	7. Chapter 6: Won the Battle, not the War

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

"I can explain," was the first thing that tumbled out of my mouth. My lying skills had become increasingly worse since entering St. Vladimir's several weeks ago. "She wants to join the academy."

"What?" Tasha yelped beside me. I quickly grabbed her hand and gave a tight squeeze, silencing her.

"Too late for that." Pavel said flatly. "Sign ups ended four weeks ago. The academy is no longer accepting new recruits until next fall."

"I know that, but see…" I walked up to him and got ready to do my best persuading act. There was no room in my heart for shame when I was trying to protect one of my closest friends. I was even prepared to beg if I had to, which looked very likely at the moment. Pavel was like the Great Wall of China and all I had to break him down was two popsicle sticks. But if there's a will, there's a way. And I had one hell of an impressive will.

"I need your help, Pavel. And for you to hear me out for just one minute, off the record."

He cocked his brow. Damn, everyone knew how to do that except me. It was so annoying.

"Off the record?"

"Take off that instructor hat for a while and talk to me like I'm your equal, is what I mean. I need a hand, and you're all I have. If I go to Dimitri with this, he'll kick me out of the academy."

"As he should."

"Look, I know you don't like me. None of the instructors do, and I don't blame them for that. But please….please, I need someone to understand."

Pavel surveyed me for a long moment, then flicked his stormy eyes over to Tasha and took his sweet time staring at her with a guarded, ruthless expression. Then a miracle happened. Something clicked in his gaze, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't sure why—and I didn't dare question it—but he saw something in Tasha that made him do something he normally wouldn't.

"What do you need?" he asked finally.

"Ouch," Tasha hissed as Pavel dabbed the cut on her eyebrow with a cotton ball soaked with rubbing alcohol.

"You'll be fine, baby girl. It's just a little scrape. Doesn't require any stitches."

"How do you know that?" I bent over and squinted at the deep red line. Pure rage raced through my veins, and it took everything I had not to kick a hole in Pavel's wall. "You're not a doctor. I think I should take her to the hospital."

"I was a paramedic for several years before I became involved in law enforcement," the instructor shot me a 'don't push your luck' look. Clearly he'd had it up to here with me, but I was merely concerned, and I think he was able to tell that. "The bruises and split lip will heal. If it was anything serious, I would treat it as such. She'll be fine."

God help me, but Pavel was gorgeous. And he smelled _so_ good. He totally wasn't my type and our romantic situation would never go farther than me hypothetically undressing him with my eyes, but that didn't mean I couldn't appreciate his scorching hotness. With his thick head of hair, light mocha skin and cold gray eyes with flecks of ice in them, he probably had women tripping over their own panties to get a little taste of his exoticness. His southern accent, insane height and powerful body only added to his air of danger. This man wasn't someone to mess with.

"Why are you helping me?"

"I don't know," Pavel answered honestly. "But does it really matter?"

I contemplated that and pursed my lips in confusion. "Guess not."

"Thank you," came a tiny voice, and we both looked over at Tasha. She cleared her throat harshly and seemed embarrassed at all of the attention. Her low self-confidence and insecurities broke my heart. She was tremendously beautiful on both the inside and the outside, and it was such a shame she didn't seem to realize that.

"I just want to thank you for everything you've done for me." Tasha met his stare with wide, innocent blue eyes. She could bring any grown man to their knees with the power of her hypnotizing stare. "And also for not asking why."

"It's your business, ma'am." Pavel shrugged. "If you want to tell me who did this to you, you will. If not, I ain't going to press. I don't know you…I don't even know why I am doing any of this, to be honest."

"But you are, which is so incredibly kind. You have no idea what this means to me. I cannot go back there."

Pavel—oh my sweet Jesus—licked his full lips. "Back where?"

"My home. I no longer have one."

"Well, you can't stay here for long. I can only keep this hidden from Dimitri for a certain period. This is going to sound harsh, but the sooner you're out of here, the better."

Tasha looked like she had just been punched in the gut, but she recovered quickly and faked a brave smile. "Of course. I completely understand, Pavel. But I still want to thank you for everything."

"It's not a problem," the instructor stood up, walked over to his closet, and pulled out several thick blankets. He dumped them in my arms.

"What are these for?" I asked stupidly.

"Sleeping."

"I'm not leaving her." I said immediately. There was no way I was going to abandon Tasha after everything she'd been through tonight. Being left alone wasn't going to help her situation at all.

"I know." Was all he said, and it may have been my imagination or something to do with the fact that I was utterly exhausted, but I could have sworn he was fighting the urge to smile at my stubbornness.

Pavel simply indicated with a nod of his head to the single twin bed in the room.

Tasha immediately looked distressed and jumped up from her seat. "Where will you sleep?"

"You don't need to worry about that," the instructor said, heading for the door. He shot a look over his thick shoulder that was all business. "You two just get some rest. I'll figure out what to do in the morning."

"Thanks, pal." I called out.

"Don't call me that." The door slammed shut behind him.

* * *

><p>"Vika is so great at this. Vika knows how to do this. Vika can beat anyone at this. Vika. Vika! Vika!<em>VIKA!<em>" I mimicked an annoying voice. "Vika can suck it!"

Beside me, Lissa giggled and rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you hate her so much. I think she's really sweet."

I stopped walking through the forest and yanked my best friend back by her arm. "I'm sorry…did I just really hear you say that? Please tell me I didn't hear you say that about Viktoria."

"You didn't hear me say that about Vika—I mean Viktoria."

I gasped deeply. "You called her by her nickname! That Russian babe has gotten to you too. Oh, God. She's spreading amongst this camp like an epidemic." I said. "Listen here, Vasilisa. She's my enemy. And now _you_ are my enemy. Not some place you want to be. Got it?"

I angrily stalked off and Lissa had to jog to keep up with me. "Oh, come on, Rose. Don't be so dramatic. You're just feeling extra bitchy because Aunt Flow came to visit last night. How about I take you to the cafeteria and buy you a brownie?"

I halted again and crossed my arms, staring at her warily. The anger in my limbs was still there, but had faded quite a bit when she mentioned chocolaty goodness. "Make it two and I'll think about forgiving you, but you have to promise me that you hate Viktoria too."

"I don't hate anything."

"Not even killers?"

"No, not even killers. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Rapists?"

"No. I believe everyone deserves a second chance."

"What about kidnappers?"

"No."

"Racists?"

"No."

"Well, you have to hate baby killers then."

"No, I do not. I don't hate anything!" Lissa cried in frustration and annoyance.

"…Gays?"

"Rose!"

"OK, OK. Fine." I laughed when she socked me in the arm. "We're getting off track here. Alright listen, you don't have to swear that you hate Viktoria. But you do have to swear that you strongly dislike her."

"I strongly dislike her."

"Swear."

"Nuh-uh."

"Lissa…"

"Fine. I swear that I strongly dislike Viktoria. Happy now?"

"Very." I grinned brilliantly. "Now we can be best friends again."

"Yippee!" Lissa said in fake enthusiasm. "Now open the door for me, my bitch."

I snorted and did as she instructed. "I am such a bad influence on you."

Walking into the cafeteria, I saw something that immediately made me nauseous and so angry my blood lit on fire. Now see, I may have never been a sweet girl who didn't go looking for trouble and had mostly good intentions, but that didn't mean I went and picked fights with whoever I could. My heart was screaming at me to go lift Viktoria up by her gorgeous golden locks and do something I would seriously regret later, but it was my pride and my brain that kept me walking right past the happy couple.

"I'm proud of you," Lissa whispered. "I so didn't believe you could do that."

I took several deep breaths and they all came out raggedly. "Thanks for having so much faith in me."

"Hathaway." Dimitri called out.

I immediately tensed, knowing that now that I had to deal with him face to face, whatever pathetic excuse I had of self control had just shattered. I turned around and plastered a careless grin on my face, but I must have looked somewhat like how I felt on the inside—angrier than a hornet who's hive had just got kicked—because Vika looked taken aback and Dimitri blinked several times before regaining composure.

"Hello, instructor Belikov. What can I do for you?"

Shock flashed across his face. I'm pretty sure that was the first time I had ever addressed him properly.

"You were absent in Law and Ethics this morning. Why is this?"

I couldn't exactly tell him the truth, which was dealing with Tasha. The conversation I just had with Lissa instantly came to mind. "Sorry, instructor Belikov. Had really bad cramps. Mother Nature came to visit me last night with her monthly gift, if you know what I mean, and I think you do. I planned on coming to class, but I was unable to find a tampon and the Playtex machine in the bathroom was out of order. So I had to make use with what I had, which was some toilet paper and a few cotton balls…and then one got stuck up there and I had to fish it out with some tweezers—"

"That's enough." Dimitri said abruptly, and I laughed internally with satisfaction. No man on earth was comfortable with such talk about woman problems. I had just received my get out of jail free card.

"May I talk with you outside please, Ms. Hathaway?"

Maybe not. I swear I had the worst luck.

"Sure, I guess."

I followed him outside. Dimitri didn't say anything for several long moments and I merely watched him pace pack and forth, creating a small trail of dust behind him with each powerful step. He stopped and stared.

"You always give me that look."

Dark brows crashed down. "What look?"

"The look that tells me you've wanted to pour anti-freeze in my jello."

A soft chuckle escaped his mouth, and the sound was music to my ears. God, I loved his laugh. "You are crazy."

I couldn't help but smile. "Tell me something I don't know."

Something warm moved my wrist and I glanced down to find Dimitri rubbing circles into my skin. Looking back up, I found his eyes trained on my face, studying every feature intently. I don't even think he realized what he was doing, but I didn't dare say a thing because I will admit, shamefully, that his touch felt too good and I never wanted it to end.

All good things must come to an end, though. He glanced down, realized what he was doing, and pulled away like his hand was on fire.

"I have to go. Viktoria will be waiting for me."

"Coward." I muttered at his retreating form.

Dimitri paused with his hand on the door handle of the cafeteria and shot a look over his shoulder. "What did you say, Hathaway?"

"You know what? I don't even care. You're a grown man. You can do whatever and _whoever_ you want on your spare time. I don't even care! And I don't even know why I'm getting so mad about this!"

His eyes flashed with surprise. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Your pretty little girlfriend in there."

Now he gave that _are-you-crazy_ look he reserved for me only. "Who?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't play stupid with me. I know you're doing the Hanky Panky with lil' miss breezy."

"You mean Viktoria?" Dimitri—I swear—flipped out laughing. I had never seen him show any emotion, let alone _this_much emotion. It was one of the most amazing things I had ever witnessed, and the anger and jealousy suddenly left my body.

Once he was able to regain control, which made me immensely sad because I adored seeing him so happy, he said four words that completely stumped me: "She is my sister."

There was a long stretch of silence. My jaw practically hit the floor. _"What?"_

"She. Is. My. Sister." Dimitri enunciated slowly, as if I was mentally challenged.

"I know what you said, douche! It just doesn't make sense to me." I slammed my lips shut and breathed out through my nose. "That is one messed up family."

The cop's eyebrows shot up. His eyes flashed violently, and I knew I had angered him beyond measurement. Guess Russian's took family business seriously. Or maybe it was just Dimitri. Or maybe I was just relying too heavily on stereotypes. I tended to do that a lot.

"If you are inquiring that I am having sexual relations with my younger sister, you have one messed up head." he said coolly. The one thing I had learned during my time with Dimitri is the calmer he appears, the more livid he is on the inside. This is only one of many factors that made him absolutely terrifying, even to a thick-skinned girl like myself.

"Hey, what you do behind closed doors is your business." I put my hands up in surrender. "I ain't here to judge."

"You have got to be kidding me," Dimitri ate up the distance between us and grabbed both of my arms. His grip wasn't painful per se, but it wasn't exactly comfortable either, and I knew it was just a taste of his true capable strength. "Do you even hear yourself at times? The words that actually come out of your mouth?"

"You two seem very close, that's all I'm saying."

His grip tightened and I gritted my teeth. "Give me a break, Rose. Give me a fucking break." Suddenly, he released me and I stumbled backwards, landing straight on my bottom.

"Ouch." I said, then looked up at the towering building glaring down at me. "I guess I deserved that one."

"Get up."

"Listen, that was uncalled for okay? Fuck…" I dusted off my jeans and struggled to find the right words to say without digging myself into another hole again. "I…yeah, I don't know why I just said that about Viktoria. I act different around you. I think different around you. I don't want to disappoint you but for some reason I always end up saying some stupid shit, and then I think, 'Did you really just say that, Rose? _Really?_ How damn stupid are you?' I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry. For disrespecting you and your sister. That wasn't cool."

One side of Dimitri's sensuous mouth turned into a heart stopping smile. Then he did something that shocked me to my bones. Those long, graceful fingers reached forward and traced the edge of my chin, down to my jaw where he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. His hand lingered there. "I also must confess something…"

"What?"

"You are my favorite recruit."

"Really?" When he merely nodded, I laughed and asked, "Why? I cause you so much trouble and headache. I thought you hated my guts."

"I could never hate you, Rose."

"But your life would be so much easier without me."

"Perhaps that is true, however…" One finger twirled around a lock of mahogany hair and I was in heaven. "You are _you_, Rose. And I wouldn't change that for anything, even if it was in my power."

I stared at him, stunned. On impulse, I lunged forward and hugged him like I had never hugged anyone before. Judging by his stiff body posture, I had caught him off guard. But a moment later, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around me. If my heart would have stopped beating right then and there, I would have died a happy woman.

Of course, all good things must come to an end…

The doors to the cafeteria swung open and a group of laughing recruits exited, along with Lissa, Christian, and Viktoria, who I suddenly didn't have such homicidal urges for.

Dimitri and I sprang apart like our lives depended on the separation. I instantly felt the loss, but he didn't seem to be affected and was instantly in Detective mode. I was so angry at the interruption I could have kicked two holes in the wall, but since I had flip-flops on and the outside of the lunchroom was made of cement, it didn't seem like such a great idea.

I suppose we were lucky that nobody seemed to notice the tense air that surrounded Dimitri and I. The last thing we needed right now were rumors and suspicions being spread around the academy.

As my friends surrounded me, talking and laughing amongst each other, entirely oblivious, the last thing I felt was lucky. Something inside my chest twisted and stung when Dimitri gave me one last cold glance, turned around, and walked away like he regretted ever even touching me.

Spinning around, I kicked the wall with all my might and cursed deafeningly when I heard a loud snap. I seriously needed to work on my anger issues and impulsiveness.


	8. Chapter 7: Until I collapse

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Cop and Attitude...<br>**

_"You have got to be kidding me," Dimitri ate up the distance between us and grabbed both of my arms. His grip wasn't painful per se, but it wasn't exactly comfortable either, and I knew it was just a taste of his true capable strength. "Do you even hear yourself at times? The words that actually come out of your mouth?"_

_"You two seem very close, that's all I'm saying."_

_His grip tightened and I gritted my teeth. "Give me a break, Rose. Give me a fucking break." Suddenly, he released me and I stumbled backwards, landing straight on my bottom._

_"Ouch." I said, then looked up at the towering building glaring down at me. "I guess I deserved that one."_

_"Get up."_

_"Listen, that was uncalled for okay? Fuck…" I dusted off my jeans and struggled to find the right words to say without digging myself into another hole again. "I…yeah, I don't know why I just said that about Viktoria. I act different around you. I think different around you. I don't want to disappoint you but for some reason I always end up saying some stupid shit, and then I think, 'Did you really just say that, Rose? Really? How damn stupid are you?' I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry. For disrespecting you and your sister. That wasn't cool."_

_One side of Dimitri's sensuous mouth turned into a heart stopping smile. Then he did something that shocked me to my bones. Those long, graceful fingers reached forward and traced the edge of my chin, down to my jaw where he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. His hand lingered there. "I also must confess something…"_

_"What?"_

_"You are my favorite recruit."_

_"Really?" When he merely nodded, I laughed and asked, "Why? I cause you so much trouble and headache. I thought you hated my guts."_

_"I could never hate you, Rose."_

_"But your life would be so much easier without me."_

_"Perhaps that is true, however…" One finger twirled around a lock of mahogany hair and I was in heaven. "You are you, Rose. And I wouldn't change that for anything, even if it was in my power."_

_I stared at him, stunned. On impulse, I lunged forward and hugged him like I had never hugged anyone before. Judging by his stiff body posture, I had caught him off guard. But a moment later, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around me. If my heart would have stopped beating right then and there, I would have died a happy woman._

_Of course, all good things must come to an end…_

_The doors to the cafeteria swung open and a group of laughing recruits exited, along with Lissa, Christian, and Viktoria, who I suddenly didn't have such homicidal urges for._

_Dimitri and I sprang apart like our lives depended on the separation. I instantly felt the loss, but he didn't seem to be affected and was instantly in Detective mode. I was so angry at the interruption I could have kicked two holes in the wall, but since I had flip-flops on and the outside of the lunchroom was made of cement, it didn't seem like such a great idea._

_I suppose we were lucky that nobody seemed to notice the tense air that surrounded Dimitri and I. The last thing we needed right now were rumors and suspicions being spread around the academy._

_As my friends surrounded me, talking and laughing amongst each other, entirely oblivious, the last thing I felt was lucky. Something inside my chest twisted and stung when Dimitri gave me one last cold glance, turned around, and walked away like he regretted ever even touching me._

_Spinning around, I kicked the wall with all my might and cursed deafeningly when I heard a loud snap. I seriously needed to work on my anger issues and impulsiveness._

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

I had just broken a toe. Pain shot all the way up to my knee. I released a string of curse words.

"Ohmigod, Rose!" Lissa shrieked, covering her mouth then rushing forward. "Are you okay?"

I nearly turned around and snapped at her. But instead, I gritted my teeth, forced a somewhat controlled expression, and nodded. "Yeah, all's good under the hood."

Adrian's eyebrows cocked.

"I don't know why I did that. I'm such an idiot." I reassured them. "I'm fine. I just need to go lay down."

"Rose, are you sure? You kicked it so hard you must have broken something. I'll go with you to the nurse—"

"I said I'm fine," I snapped, and instantly regretted it when I saw the hurt flash across Lissa's face. "I'm really tired. You know how cranky I get."

"Okay," she said, looking unconvinced. "I'll walk with you. And don't try to fight me on that, pipsqueak. It won't fly with me."

"Hey, now. Words cut like knives." I grinned halfheartedly. "You're the pipsqueak."

* * *

><p>The shower sprayed down on me, scalding my tender, bruised, and broken skin. I had removed my shoes minutes ago, and was still shocked at the condition my toe was in a day after I'd snapped it.<p>

Going to the doctor after breaking a bone was evidently a smart idea. It didn't always heal the correct way when you hid them under destroyed sneakers, pretended that the pain wasn't all you thought about during your grueling training sessions, and hoped for the best.

But I wasn't going to let Dimitri know, or anybody else for that matter. I was the idiot who was still hoping for the best because she didn't want to look like a fool. No wonder pride was one of the seven deadly sins.

"Four minutes, ladies!" Sydney bellowed. "Let's go!"

Groans erupted as everyone slammed off their faucets and scrambled to get dressed.

I ripped on a black tank top, gray yoga pants, and shoved my feet into my favorite red Nike's. The pain stole my breath away. I exhaled heavily and punched the wall. It made me feel good enough to stop being a sissy and join my fellow recruits out on the field.

"Oh. Hell. No." I stopped next to Lissa, and couldn't help but stare. "I thought we were done with obstacle courses!" I had just_ finally_ passed the last one. This was truly hell on earth.

"Far from done, Hathaway," Dimitri said. "We're just getting to the fun part."

I wanted to cry.

"Those pants make your ass look fantastic." Lissa whispered. "_What ya gonna do with all that junk, all that junk inside your trunk?_"

I grinned.

"You can do this!" she said encouragingly, quickly giving my hand a tight squeeze.

"Thanks. You too."

"This course is fourteen miles long. It will take you three to four hours to complete, depending on your strength and endurance, or lack thereof." Dimitri pointedly looked at me.

The old Rose bristled at that comment. But the new refined, mature 2.0 Rose brushed it off her shoulders, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much it pissed her off.

"This course moves quickly, switching you from one obstacle to another with very little or no rest." Dimitri glided back and forth, hands locked behind his back. "There is an instructor at each change that will guide you through what tasks are required of you. Best of luck. You'll need it."

I got paired with Adrian. Yeah, I know. Worst partner ever.

Pavel was at the first stop. "This is the Plank. You will walk across that board, jump into the lake, and swim to the other side where Sydney is waiting for you."

"That's all the motivation I need." Adrian went first, and failed several times.

"That water is so fucking ice-cold!" he jumped out and started over again.

That was true. The lake had turned my lips purple and limbs to icicles. I was still shaking violently twenty minutes after I had swum across it and hopped out.

Sydney was right there, but unfortunately I couldn't go on without my partner. Even Lissa and her partner had passed us up, and they were like the wimpiest team ever.

"Assholes need to stop shoving me in!" Adrian shouted after having fallen in again.

"Stop being such a pussy and just _do it_!" I cupped my hands over my mouth. "Don't ruin this for me, Adrian! I really want to get first!"

Sydney snickered, clearly doubting that would ever happen.

Four more tries, and Adrian finally got his balance in check enough to walk across the long, narrow board. He dove into the lake and crossed it in record time.

Soaked from head to toe, he climbed out onto the grass, threw his arms up, assumed a fierce expression, and roared victoriously. "_Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!_"

"Ass!" I punched him in the arm. "Let's go!"

"Hey, beautiful," Adrian smiled at Sydney. "How are you doing this morning? I've missed seeing that pretty face."

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Save your energy for the course, Ivashkov." she jabbed a thumb behind her. "You have to run two miles to the next assignment."

"Two miles? That's it?" Adrian scoffed. "_Please._ Step back. I got this."

"You cocky bastard! Get up!" I screamed, slopping through the mud. "We're not even half way there. You totally jinxed us."

We were only forty-five minutes into the obstacle course, and I just wanted to give up. But I told my muscles to stop their bitching and continued on.

Adrian was in worse shape than I was.

"I'm going to die," he said, as we made our way through the trenches of thick mud. It was like quicksand. Your legs would sink all the way to the top of your thighs. Then you would have to use all your strength to dig yourself out, only to sink right back in again when you took your next step.

I wanted to weep from relief and joy when we reached Christian.

"You made it." he gave me a high five. "You want some water of PowerAde?"

"Anything." I gasped, crumbling to the ground. I needed to drink something or I really was going to die.

He handed me a blue PowerAde and I chugged the entire thing down. Adrian downed half a gallon of water.

"That's enough. You drink anymore and the cramps will slow you down." Christian said. "This is called the Kiss of Mud. That barbwire is seven inches from the ground. You have to crawl underneath it to the other side."

That was probably the easiest part of the entire course. When I'd finished, I only had a few nicks here and there. Adrian, on the other hand, had butchered his back and legs.

"_Ew_." I laughed. "You're all bloody. That's gross."

Adrian winked and gave a beyond exhausted smile. "You'll give me a sponge bath later and I'll feel much better."

"I don't think so."

Ivan was at the fourth part. Much like Dimitri, he was blunt and spoke only when necessary. "This is the Boa Constrictor. You will have to crawl through those."

Adrian tore off and disappeared inside a tiny black tube.

I stared, and didn't believe it was possible. "In _those?_" I gaped. "There's no way my ass is going to fit through there."

Ivan just looked at me.

I found it hard to breathe. "But I'm extremely claustrophobic."

"Then quit."

My anger spiked. I glared at him.

You needed not only physical strength to endure this test, but mental as well, is what Dimitri had told us before starting. He had never been so right.

I don't know how I did it. I don't know how I swallowed one of my most intense fears and went through with it. I don't know how I managed to navigate through that pitch black tunnel and squeeze out to meet my partner.

But I did, and that was all that mattered.

Our next task: You and your partner must grab one heavy ass, motherfucking log (not the exact words used by the instructor) and hike a mile up a ski slope.

That was the most brutal thirty minutes of my entire life, and I'd held my mother in my arms while she'd had a violent seizure and took the last breaths of her life.

The log dropped several times and rolled over my bad toe.

All I wanted to due was collapse from exhaustion. But I searched deep for that inner strength and kept going, no matter how bad I just wanted to fall flat on my face.

Adrian and I finally made it to the top.

We hugged each other hard, and I burst into tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm such a sissy."

"No. You're not." He kissed the top of my head and held me even tighter. "All right, little lady, let's keep going."

"There's the finish line!" I screamed victoriously, and then wished I hadn't been so happy-go-lucky.

"Welcome to the final phase," Viktoria smiled. "That field is filled with gasoline soaked straw. The flames are up to five feet high. You have to cross it in order to get to the finish line."

No duh.

I looked at Adrian. "You ready?"

He nodded and grabbed my hand. "All or nothing, baby."

I was lying earlier when I'd said carrying the log was the worst part of this entire thing. I was foolish when I'd thought that I had already gone through the worse and believed I could deal with whatever was to come. I was downright stupid when I'd said what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

This was purely hell.

Viktoria had decided to leave an important factor out—this damn field was laced with hidden wires that gave you a powerful shock. I was thrown to my knees several times, on the verge of tears.

Do you know what it's like to walk through raging fire and be tazed at random times? You never want to find out.

Adrian and I crawled across the finish line.

"Congratulations," Dimitri patted me hard on the back, and I swear if I hadn't been immobilized by agony and second-degree burns, I would have killed him with my bare hands.

"You made second place,"

Adrian slowly moved his head towards mine and smiled. "High-five." he said, too tired and in pain to do the actual thing.

"High-five." I croaked, throat feeling like sandpaper. "Who won first?"

Dimitri jerked his head to the left.

Slowly, painfully, I craned my head to see.

Lissa waved at me. She was collapsed on her back like us.

I managed a small smile and said, "I have the most bestest, bad ass best friend in the world."

* * *

><p><strong>TPOV:<strong>

Pavel terrified me, almost more so than Ambrose. I winced. God, I missed that man more than anyone could ever know. It was like half of me was missing and wouldn't return until I was back in his arms again.

The first time a woman is hit, she is the victim. The second time, she is an accomplice. I guess I was just like every other woman in the world involved in an abusive relationship. I simply couldn't seem to escape him, but a part of me didn't want to let go. And every time I was away, all I could think about was going back.

Maybe I was pathetic, but my mother had always told me: Don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes.

The door flew open, sucking me out of my thoughts. My jaw dropped when I saw what came in.

At least with Ambrose, I knew what to expect. He was predictable, and I'd grown familiar with our brutal routine, witch roughly consisted of round-the-clock beatings and sexual encounters.

I liked knowing what was coming next. It made enduring whatever it was just a tiny bit easier.

With Pavel, I was left in the dark. I wasn't able to get a read from him, and I was usually really good at getting a sense of the people around me. Pavel was just a stone cold, emotionless wall that stopped anyone who dared to try to gain access.

The instructor entered the room, a white towel wrapped around his hips. Water dripped down his mocha skin, and I swear I wanted to rush forward and drag my tongue down his naked, hard, tattooed torso just to know what he tasted like. He looked beyond edible. I had never seen such a magnificent man before, and Ambrose was something out of magazines and movies. He didn't even compare to what was before my eyes right now.

"Jesus Christ." Pavel swore when he saw me. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

He rushed to cover up. I had a feeling it was out of modesty and politeness for me, not because he was ashamed or self-conscious about his body. But then again, if you had one like that, who would bother with covering it up?

"Oh, my god. I'm so sorry." I quickly turned around, giving him privacy. My cheeks were on fire.

"Stop saying your sorry all the damn time," Pavel said. "You have nothing to apologize for, so save it for a time when you truly need forgiveness."

"Right. Sorry." I blurted habitually, and bit my tongue. "Ugh. Sorry. I meant…blah, never mind."

"You can turn around now. I'm decent."

I hesitantly shifted my body to face him. Slowly, I opened my squinted eyes. He wore Nike sweats and a white cotton t-shirt. I breathed a sigh of relief.

His eyebrows shot up. "Looking at me half naked was that difficult for you, huh?"

"What? Oh, no. Of course not." I responded immediately. "You're not just decent—you're _fine._ I mean…whoa, I didn't mean it like. That didn't sound right."

Pavel stared at me a moment, eyes glittering with amusement. Then outright laughed when he saw the extreme embarrassment on my face.

"Don't be so nervous around me," he said, setting his keys down on the nightstand before collapsing on the bed. "I'm not anything like your piece of shit boyfriend. I don't hit women. Only pussies do that."

I swallowed on a dry throat. "Rose told you everything?"

"She gave me a rough description, but only because I forced it out of her. She's gonna talk to Dimitri tonight about you."

"Do you think he'll let me stay?"

"Who knows with Belikov." Pavel put a heavy forearm over his eyes. He looked so exhausted. I couldn't imagine what walking a mile in his shoes would be like. "Guess we will see."

As the room grew quiet and he drifted off to sleep, I felt like an intruder. Quietly, I stood up and headed for the door, careful not to disturb him.

I wrapped my hand around the knob and twisted.

"Where are you going?" Pavel's arm was down, and he was staring at me intently with that stormy gaze. "Jesus. You have the most enormous blue eyes I have ever seen. I bet you bring grown men to their knees with those bad boys."

Immensely uncomfortable, I evaded that comment entirely. "I didn't want to be a bother."

"If you were bothering me, you wouldn't be here right now talking to me." he said. "Now sit your ass back down on that bed and get some sleep."

"Thank you." I smiled and listened.

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

The smell of gooey cheese, roasted meat and vegetables, and toasty bread drifted over, and I nearly moaned. Before the police academy, I'd had a hearty appetite. Now that I exercised constantly and kept my head in those books, my appetite was a roaring beast. I usually devoured anything edible in sight. I guess I was a growing girl.

"What are you making?" I asked with burning curiosity.

"French bread pizza,"

Yum! But I didn't want to appear too eager. "Boy you went all out, huh?"

"Would you rather make me dinner, Hathaway?"

"No." I responded immediately. Most likely, I would end up blowing the kitchen up.

"That's what I thought." Dimitri said, setting the pizza on plates. He handed one to me and headed for the couch. I joined him on the opposite side. With the electric energy passing between us, it still seemed too close. But I was far too hungry to even care or move.

"So," I said, sinking my teeth into the crusty flesh. "why'd you invite me over? I know it's not because you wanted me to paint your nails."

Dimitri asked me about Mason for the seemingly thousandth time. The same damn questions, over and over again. Here we go again, like one of those spinning teacup rides that never end. It was incredibly frustrating. It felt as if I was screaming and not being heard.

"I already told you everything I know." I set my plate down, suddenly nauseated. "I have to go. Thanks for dinner."

"Rose. Wait." He grabbed my arm, and I gave him a dangerous look.

"Please take your hands off me right now."

"I need your help."

"What could you _frickin' _need my help with?" I demanded. "You're the boss man. You're the detective. You're supposed to know everything. You don't need my help."

"I need you more than you could possibly imagine," Dimitri admitted.

I laughed bitterly and headed for the door. "Yeah, of course you do. So you can pin it on me. I see through you, crystal clear. I know what you're trying to do."

"You honestly think I'm twisted like that?"

"Yes."

"Then I misjudged you," he said. "I made you out to be so much more intelligent than that. Clearly, I was very wrong."

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"No." he said, all straight-faced. Smart-ass.

"Listen here, Pig, I know exactly what you're trying to do." I told him. "I don't believe in keeping your enemies closer than your friends. Fuck that. You don't trust me. I don't trust you. Good night."

"I can't stop you. You're only digging yourself into a bigger hole. Eventually everything will collapse in on you."

"Don't threaten me! I'm not fucking going to prison for the rest of my life for something I didn't do." I said exhaustedly.

"Then let me help you,"

I made a doubtful noise in the back of my throat. "Yeah, right. You help me? I don't think so."

"I believe you're innocent."

"Don't bullshit me."

"I give you my word." Dimitri said. "I want you to trust me."

"Why should I?"

"Because I haven't given you reason not to."

That much was true. "But you're still a cop."

"One of the good ones."

I locked eyes with him for the longest time, seeing if I could get anything out of him—a shred of deceit, untruthfulness, or any signs of uncertainty. I found nothing. But Dimitri was right. He hadn't given me a reason not to trust him.

"Fine," I said finally. "I want to solve Mason's murder as bad as you do. You can believe what you want, but I did love him with all my heart."

His bottomless eyes grew even darker. "I'm sure you did."

"So, partner," I went for the pizza again and stuffed nearly half of it in my mouth. "What's first on our agenda?"

"Tomorrow I want you to talk with Mason's friends," Dimitri told me, "the ones that won't have anything to do with me."

"Piece of cake," I said cockily. "This is what you do all day and get paid for it? Gee, I guess anyone can be a cop these days."

"I find that insulting."

"That's exactly why I said it, partner." I washed the food down with some Sprite.

"Don't call me that."

"It's part of the deal. Take it or leave it."

Dimitri didn't say anything.

I grinned triumphantly.

* * *

><p>The questioning proved to be as fun as banging your head against a wall. Dimitri and I drove around for hours, going to certain restaurants and hot hangout spots in the ghetto. I saw a lot of my old friends, and temptation sang in my veins. I had to fight the urges the old Rose still possessed. The drug use was my biggest demon I had to battle. I'd had to be by myself a few times today, just to regain my cool and stay calm.<p>

Mason's closest friends were MIA. The ones I did manage to speak with were as useful as, well, banging your head against a wall. They didn't know shit and only succeeded in wasting my damn time.

"I don't know how you do this everyday," I said, massaging my pounding temples. "It's so boring and frustrating."

"A big part of being a detective is possessing patience," Dimitri said. "You just have to wait, pay close attention, and be there when somebody slips up. That's when you get your break. The pieces will fall into place after that."

"It's my eighteenth birthday tomorrow."

"I had a feeling you weren't listening to me."

"And I have a feeling you're just trying to get out of buying me a present,"

"I'm not getting you one."

I put my hand over my heart, mocking hurt. "And here I thought we were getting so close to braiding each others hair and telling scary ghost stories in the dark."

"What do you want, Rose?"

"The day off," I smiled sweetly. "With Lissa."

He slid me a look and returned his focus back to the road. "You know I can't do that,"

"You mean you can, but you don't want to."

"Exactly."

"_Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee _Dimitri," I pleaded desperately. "I only turn eighteen once. And we're only going to the mall, for like, a couple of hours! We won't even be gone the whole day! I'll be back in time for Law and Ethics, I promise!"

Dimitri—I swear—groaned in annoyance. "I don't have a good feeling about this,"

"Yaaaaaaaaay! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I squealed. "I'm so happy right now I could totally make out with you!"

His hands gripped the steeling wheel tighter. "Let's try to refrain from that."

"Got it."

* * *

><p>The mall was packed.<p>

Lissa and I headed into the first cute shop we saw. I nearly spent all of my money there. When we finally came out hours later, I had purchased several pairs of jeans, two pairs of boots, three thermal shirts, and one slutty top, just for the hell of it.

"I'm starving." I whined to Lissa. "Let's go to the food court."

She ordered a chicken salad with Vitamin water. I ordered a hamburger, fries, nachos, a coke, and a chocolate cone. I ate the ice cream first.

Lissa raised an eyebrow at my food choice as she popped an almond into her mouth. "That cannot be healthy,"

"It's my birthday," I defended. "Give me a break."

She slid a small white box across the table.

"What's this?"

My best friend shrugged, smiling shyly. "Happy birthday."

I eagerly tore it open. It was a pair of brilliant ocean-colored earrings. "Oh, my gosh!" I decked her in the arm.

"Ow! What the hell?"

"I cannot believe you got me these!" It was the best—and very likely the most expensive—gift I had ever received. I reached across the table and hugged her, surprising us both.

"They're aquamarine," she said, "your birthstone."

"Thank you so much," I said. "My hands are shaking. I don't want to drop them. Help me put them on?"

Lissa had just put the second gold stud in my ear when I spotted him.

Over her shoulder. A man wearing jeans and a green sweatshirt. His hood shadowed his face, but I knew he was looking right at me. He reached into his pocket.

My heart raced. I had only half a second to react.

Fear shot me out of my seat. Instinct had me lunging across the table and tackling Lissa to the ground.

The gun shot rang out.

I shielded her against danger. Pain exploded in my body.

The food court erupted in utter panic, people screaming and running in all directions, like an anthill that had just been kicked. I lay there, sprawled out, unmoving. Blood pooled around us.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the hooded man quickly and inconspicuously exit the mall.

Lissa screamed at the top of her lungs, "Somebody call 911!"

* * *

><p>Dimitri, Pavel, and Christian were the first officers to arrive on the scene.<p>

While Christian and Pavel were busy inside the mall, questioning witnesses on what they'd seen and the identity of the mystery gunman, I was out front, inside of an ambulance, being patched up and drilled by Dimitri.

"You scared me really, really bad, Rose." Lissa repeated, appearing distressed. "I thought you'd been shot in the head or something."

The paramedic snipped and tied a piece of gauze.

It turns out, the bullet had only grazed my arm. Just because the wound was less significant than a mortal one didn't make the son of a bitch sting any less.

"Why did you play dead like that?" Lissa asked.

"Because I wanted the gunman to think I was," I answered. "If I'd gotten up, he would have just kept shooting. Who knows how many lives would have been lost then."

Dimitri looked mildly impressed.

"All finished." The paramedic said.

"I need to talk with you," Dimitri gestured to his police vehicle. "Come with me."

My best friend was instantly in more distress at the thought of separating from me.

"But I can't leave Lissa alone."

"I'll take care of her," Christian called out, strolling down the mall stairs.

Though he was totally not my type, I could admit he was sort of hot, in a creepy kind of way. His cop uniform, pale skin, jet-black hair, and ice-blue eyes gave the instructor an exotic, cold look.

Christian put his arm around Lissa and pulled her into his side. She jumped, still on edge, but relaxed a moment later and settled against him.

"I'll make sure she gets back to camp, safe and sound." he said.

"You promise?" I questioned doubtfully.

"Swear."

I looked at my best friend. "You sure you're okay with this, Liss?"

She glanced at the man she was entirely in love with, then back at me and nodded. "Yeah, of course. Why are you worried about me, crazy? You're the one who was shot."

I smiled, gave her a quick hug, and got into the passenger side of Dimitri's squad car.

"Happy eighteenth birthday to me, huh?" I joked, chuckling halfheartedly. "That was one close call."

"I am sorry," Dimitri said, pulling onto the highway.

"Why?"

"Because I underestimated this full situation," he said. "It should have been handled more carefully."

"Why is someone trying to kill me?"

"It could have been random." He shrugged, clearly unbelieving what he'd just said.

"It wasn't random." I said, as we made our way through the eerie, pitch-black wilderness. "That guy had seen me before. He knew who I was. I even think he may have followed me there."

"How would you know that? You didn't get a good look at his face."

"Trust me on this one," I said. "I just know. Why else would he have only shot off one bullet? If he was some random psycho who just decided to open fire, he would have kept shooting."

"Good point." Dimitri's lips curved into a smile. "I can tell you've been paying attention in your classes."

"Damn right," I said, trying not to get overly happy at his praise. "I want to be the best cop in Montana."

"You will be," he said, "besides myself, of course."

"I think I'd give you a run for your money," I said cockily.

"Is that so, Ms. Hathaway?"

"Yes, sir."

Twenty minutes later, we switched to Dimitri's all terrain Hummer, and fifteen minutes after that, we arrived at his awesome cabin. I hadn't taken the time to appreciate it the first time I'd been invited in, since I had been completely distracted by food. He had a kick-ass fireplace, a hell of a plasma screen TV and surround system, black leather couches, and the hugest bed I had ever seen. Clearly, it was built for a king.

We talked more about the day, what the gunman had looked like, exactly what he'd been wearing, the kind of gun he'd used. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Going in circles again. Not having any answers made me want to yank my hair out.

I kicked the edge of the coffee table, fell forward, and gasped in such intense pain.

"What's the matter?" Dimitri demanded, kneeling beside me.

Alarmed, I sucked it up and got to my feet. "Nothing. Just stubbed my toe."

"Which foot was it?"

I pointed to my left.

He ripped off my sneaker.

Panic settled in. I didn't want to get kicked out of the academy for such a stupid injury. Not when I'd already worked so hard and come this far. "Wait, Dimitri!" I fought against him. He twisted my leg, sat on my thigh, trapping me in an awkward position. I squirmed, screaming and pleading with him to stop. "I'm okay! I only stubbed my toe!"

"I don't care how hard you stubbed it. No one reacts like that unless they're in horrible pain." he pressed my ankle against the hardwood floor. "You're hiding something from me."

Dimitri ripped off my sock, and I heard his sharp intake of breath.

I quit fighting. No use in it since he'd already seen what was there.

He curse in his native Siberian tongue. "What the hell did you do?"

"Kicked a wall."

"Why?"

"Cause I felt like it."

"You need to be treated immediately. Sit down on the table. Now."

Groaning, I obeyed his command.

"Sit still for me," Dimitri said. "I need to get a closer look."

"Okay."

Before I could react, he grabbed hold of my bad toe, and swiftly twisted.

_Crack, pop, crack._

"Motherfucker!" I smacked him in the back of the head. Hard. My knee also caught him in the jaw when I jackknifed off the table and tumbled onto the ground.

"That hurt!"

"You don't say." He rubbed his jaw, giving a sharp smile. It wasn't really a smile; more just baring teeth. "I told you to sit still."

"You broke my toe again!"

"Back to its correct position," he said. "You're welcome."

"You could have warned me first. That way I was more prepared." I said reasonably, biting back the tears. Goddamn it. The pain was all I could focus on.

He grabbed an ice pack and handed it to me. "Would you have let me do it if you'd known my intentions?"

"Probably not," I admitted. "But still…you're an ass. Thanks though, I guess. For, you know, helping me."

Dimitri gave a small, sincere smile. "You are welcome. Stay here. I'll be right back."

When he returned, he was carrying a first aid kit. He instructed me to get back on the chair and elevate my leg on another one. After carefully cleansing my foot, he wrapped gauze around my broken and big toe, then stuck a wooden popsicle stick in to keep them straight.

"Who knew the big bad Russian could be so gentle and attentive?"

His lips twitched ever so slightly as he cut the last piece of tape. "It's my job."

"Well, you're good at your job."

"I have to be."

We didn't say much after that. The silence that surrounded us was the comforting kind. And I realized then that, though Dimitri could be the biggest, pushiest asshole sometimes, he wasn't half bad and I…sort of enjoyed his company.

This academy was making me lose my damn mind.

"I'm going to work on not being so mean to you," I told him. "And I won't call you Pig anymore, unless it's absolutely necessary."

Dimitri's eyes lightened. "Sounds good, Rose."

I grinned.

Then shocked the hell out of the both of us.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.

Judging by his rigid posture, I'd seriously caught him off guard. But I really didn't care. All I knew was, in that very moment, I wanted this man so bad.

After working my mouth against his tight and unresponsive one for a few moments, I was about to give up and call it a day, figuring he simply wasn't attracted to me, when he responded.

_He responded!_

Dimitri kissed me like he owned me. He was rough and forceful just like I had imagined he would be. When he wanted something, he took control. And he was taking me like I belonged to him and absolutely no one else.

I barely had enough time to gulp down some oxygen before his tongue was down my throat again. I was just as eager as he was. My mouth pressed against his so forcefully I knew there would be bruises there tomorrow. I wrapped my arms around his thick neck as he made fistfuls of my hair and pulled me even closer to him. I was flush against his body and my skin felt on fire.

"Wait, wait..." I gasped, drawing back. I swear Dimitri growled.

"What is it?" he snapped, devouring my neck. It took everything I had not to give into that and forget about the world.

The words blurted from my mouth before I could stop them. I came clean about Tasha.

If it had been any other man, I would have said shock and maybe—just maybe—a tiny bit of hurt flashed across his face. But it wasn't any other man. It was Dimitri. And I wasn't sure he was capable of feeling anything but anger.

I had just seriously pissed him off.

"Is that the only reason you kissed me?" he demanded, squeezing my biceps. It wasn't painful, but it didn't feel good either.

I was stunned. I opened my mouth, only to close it.

"I see." Dimitri released me and pointed to the door. "Get out."

"Wait, what? Let me explain—"

"You've made it perfectly clear." A muscle in his jaw jumped. His eyes were like black ice. "I want you out. Now."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"_Get the fuck out."_

I jumped from the volume and malevolence of his voice. The fear felt like lead was being poured into my veins.

I decided it was a good idea to listen to Dimitri and headed for the door. I opened it and turned around. "If Tasha is forced to leave, then I will be gone too. Just remember that."

I left and didn't look back.


	9. Chapter 8: Don't Quit Now

**A/N:** It looks like I made a terrible mistake last chapter, regarding Tasha. I hadn't touched this story in months and I decided to write the last chapter "Until I Collapse" without refreshing my memory by rereading the story.

I changed and deleted a few parts of the last two chapters to make things less confusing, so you may have to reread them to make sense of things. If not, I'm sure you'll still be able to follow along just fine. It was just some silly confusion on my part.

Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy! =)

~Ms. Belikov

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><p><strong>Previously on Cop and Attitude...<strong>

_"I'm going to work on not being so mean to you," I told him. "And I won't call you Pig anymore, unless it's absolutely necessary."_

_Dimitri's eyes lightened. "Sounds good, Rose."_

_I grinned._

_Then shocked the hell out of the both of us._

_I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his._

_Judging by his rigid posture, I'd seriously caught him off guard. But I really didn't care. All I knew was, in that very moment, I wanted this man so bad._

_After working my mouth against his tight and unresponsive one for a few moments, I was about to give up and call it a day, figuring he simply wasn't attracted to me, when he responded._

_He responded!_

_Dimitri kissed me like he owned me. He was rough and forceful just like I had imagined he would be. When he wanted something, he took control. And he was taking me like I belonged to him and absolutely no one else._

_I barely had enough time to gulp down some oxygen before his tongue was down my throat again. I was just as eager as he was. My mouth pressed against his so forcefully I knew there would be bruises there tomorrow. I wrapped my arms around his thick neck as he made fistfuls of my hair and pulled me even closer to him. I was flush against his body and my skin felt on fire._

_"Wait, wait..." I gasped, drawing back. I swear Dimitri growled._

_"What is it?" he snapped, devouring my neck. It took everything I had not to give into that and forget about the world._

_The words blurted from my mouth before I could stop them. I came clean about Tasha._

_If it had been any other man, I would have said shock and maybe—just maybe—a tiny bit of hurt flashed across his face. But it wasn't any other man. It was Dimitri. And I wasn't sure he was capable of feeling anything but anger._

_I had just seriously pissed him off._

_"Is that the only reason you kissed me?" he demanded, squeezing my biceps. It wasn't painful, but it didn't feel good either._

_I was stunned. I opened my mouth, only to close it._

_"I see." Dimitri released me and pointed to the door. "Get out."_

_"Wait, what? Let me explain—"_

_"You've made it perfectly clear." A muscle in his jaw jumped. His eyes were like black ice. "I want you out. Now."_

_"I'm not going anywhere."_

_"Get the fuck out."_

_I jumped from the volume and malevolence of his voice. The fear felt like lead was being poured into my veins._

_I decided it was a good idea to listen to Dimitri and headed for the door. I opened it and turned around. "If Tasha is forced to leave, then I will be gone too. Just remember that."_

_I left and didn't look back._

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

"Hathaway, may I speak with you for a moment?"

I glanced up to find Dimitri standing in the doorway of the recruit's cabin. The room was empty except for Tasha and I.

I stuffed a sweatshirt into my backpack. "Sure. Why not." I replied.

"Alone."

I looked over at Tasha, who glanced around briefly and stood up before heading outside to give us privacy.

"What can I do for you?" I threw my hairbrush, toothbrush, and deodorant in before zipping my bag shut.

"You're packing."

"Nice noticing, captain obvious."

"Why?"

"Because I'm no longer welcome here."

"What gave you that impression."

I laughed harshly. "You are impossible."

"I was only curious."

"I don't know," I said sarcastically, "Maybe last night after you tongue fucked me then told me to get the fuck out."

"I only wanted you out of my home." Dimitri said. "No one ever said anything about the academy."

I stopped, slung my backpack over my left shoulder. "I just need to get far away from this shitty place."

"So you're quitting."

"Yeah, Dimitri, I'm quitting. And don't give me that damn look. There's only so much one person can take."

"Quit bitching. Nobody likes a whiner."

If looks could kill, he'd be dead. "Get out of my way."

He blocked my path. "I'm not done talking to you."

I huffed and crossed my arms. "What else is there to say?"

"You're staying in this academy."

"After everything I've done?" When he nodded, I asked, "Why?"

"You honestly think I would let you go that easily?" A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I don't believe in abandoning or giving up on someone…that doesn't solve anything, just makes the situation worst. Maybe it was the way I was raised, but for some absurd reason, I believe in you and have confidence that you will make it through this and come out something bigger and better on the other side."

"You're only saying that 'cause you want to get in my pants."

_"Rose."_

Awkward silence. I coughed.

"So...Tasha gets to stay?"

"I'll see what I can do," Dimitri said tightly, clearly displeased.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Bouncing with excitement, I ran to give him a hug.

Dimitri held up his arms and stopped me dead in my tracks with the look he gave.

Yikes. "Sorry." I mumbled, looking down.

"It's fine." He said, words sharp like a knife. "Both of you follow me to the training room."

* * *

><p>"I will allow Tasha to stay under one condition." Dimitri said. "An instructor must put in extra training sessions with her, working with her extensively to make sure she's up to par with the other recruits. And it won't be me."<p>

My heart sunk into the pit of my stomach. I had just lost the game.

In unison, all of the instructors groaned.

Ivan shook his head no.

Victoria gave me a sad, apologetic smile, but shook her head.

"Sorry, Rose." Sydney said. "But I can't."

"I'm out." Christian said.

"What if I worked with her, Dimitri?" I pleaded. "I know all the routines. I can show her how to do them. I'll make sure she's ready."

He automatically shook his head. "It wouldn't be enough. She needs someone who is trained."

"I am trained, damn it!"

"_Professionally_ trained." he shot back crisply.

Was I on the verge of crying? Goddamn it. Suck it up, sissy.

In a way, I felt this academy was our last hope. A way for us to turn our lives around and make something good out of what had been bad. Who knows what life would be like without St. Vladimir's help. I didn't want to leave and find out, but there was no way I'd let Tasha go and return to Ambrose.

"So, this is it?" I yelled. "All of you are too fucking lazy to put in a couple extra hours to help out another human being in need? Well, guess what, fuck every single one of you! Come on Tasha…let's get out of here since we're no longer welcome." I grabbed her hand and headed for the training rooms front doors. The crisp, cool forest air whipped my hair back. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the violet sky.

"Wait, hold up Hathaway," I turned around.

Pavel was in the far back. Slowly, very reluctantly, he put his arm up, volunteering. "I'll work with her."

Shock filled me. I was ecstatic.

He was our second chance.

* * *

><p><strong>TPOV:<strong>

Pavel opened the doors to an empty gymnasium. There were regular things you'd see in any typical gymnasium—rows of bleachers, basketball hoops, shiny wooden floors.

Pavel turned around, crossed his arms, and assessed me from head to toe.

My face turned chili-pepper red. I suddenly became aware and self-conscious of what I was wearing, which happened to be a pair of black yoga pants, an oversized St. Vladimir's t-shirt, and a raggedy pair of sneakers I'd borrowed from Rose.

I tugged my sloppy ponytail tighter in a lame attempt to appear more presentable.

It was nothing matched up to his level, or at least it felt that way.

At barely five-three and a hundred and ten pounds, I was tiny, weak, and entirely out of shape compared to him.

Pavel was well over six feel tall, had to be a good two-fifteen to two-twenty, and was the epitome of peak physical condition.

I just knew my first training session was going to be an embarrassing one. He was going to be paying close attention to how hard I was working, how heavily I was breathing, how much I was sweating.

Oh, god.

What about my big butt? Was he going to be watching that too?

Suddenly, the instructors face broke out in a brilliant smile. "I like the way you do that with your cheeks," Pavel said, Georgia drawl thick.

"Huh? What thing?" I said, touching my face.

"You ready to work your ass off?" Friendliness gone. All business now. Good. That was much easier to deal with.

"As ready as I'll ever be, sir."

"Good." Pavel dropped down on the front bleacher and held up a stop watch around his neck. "'Cause you're going to be running today."

Hmmm. Didn't sound so difficult. Just put one foot in front of the other and go fast. Running was one thing I was capable of.

"Four laps is the equivalent of one mile. I want you to run sixteen rounds." he stated. "Ready, set,-"

"Wait." I interrupted, holding up my hand.

Pavel raised his eyes, cocked his brows questionably, clearly not pleased.

"I just want to say thank you," I told him. "For doing this for me. I still don't know why. But I very much appreciate it—"

"Thank me when you're done." He cut me off. "I don't like wasting my time. Now get running."

I was thrown off by the clipped tone, but decided it wasn't rude of him to talk to me in such a way. He was a police officer, after all. It was his job to do his job, not be friends with me.

I nodded my head and did as I was told.

Nearly four laps into it, I was ready to puke and collapse.

I panted like a dog and forced my legs to keep going, and decided I really didn't give a damn how crazy and unattractive I looked, because this whole thing was just too damn hard.

"I can't do this!"

"You've only been running for fifteen minutes," Pavel said in a bored tone. "And you haven't even reached a mile yet. Don't be pathetic."

"I really can't do this!"

"Can't isn't an option in this academy, baby girl."

Sweat poured down my face and dripped into my eyes, stinging my vision. "I'm going to die if I don't stop!"

"If you stop, the doors are right there. Don't look back 'cause I don't train quitters."

That got me mad. I finished the fifth lap. I was so tired of people seeing me as weak.

"You're kind of an asshole," I declared, shocking myself with my boldness at the fact that I had just seriously insulted him. Except I really didn't care at the moment.

Pavel threw his head back and laughed, tossing a football in the air and catching it. "So I've been told."

"Bet you have." I muttered.

We didn't talk after that because I was too out of breath to puff any words out.

My lungs burned. My legs felt on fire. This was my own personal hell.

I finished.

Then fell to the floor, sprawled out eagle style.

Pavel appeared above me, a giant, menacing tower. But he kind of looked like an angel. An angel of death.

I smiled and mumbled exhaustedly, "I didn't think I could do it."

"But you did, and that's all that matters. Here." He handed me an ice-cold bottle of Dasani. "Don't get too comfy now, doll. You're not done yet."

I could barely lift myself up enough to be able to drink the water. I chugged the entire thing down. "There's more?"

"Yes."

I removed the bottle from my lips and squinted up at him, studying that flawless caramel skin, thick dark hair, pale grey eyes. "What's your ethnicity?" I asked curiously.

"My father is black, and my mother Puerto Rican."

"That's one hell of a combination," Damn, he was fine.

The edges of his full mouth curved slightly. "Apparently so."

"Pavel is an unusual name, though." I noted.

He took a seat beside me on the ground. "Why is it you think that?"

"Doesn't suit you."

"I have strong Russian ancestry."

"Still doesn't fit."

"Pavel is my last name." The instructor said, "My actual name is Dante."

"Dante?" That rolled of the tongue smoothly. "That's much better. Why don't you go by that?"

"I do to certain people. Some—not most."

"To your family?"

Pavel nodded.

"To your close friends?"

"Yeah."

"I bet to your hot girlfriend too, huh." I blurted, and instantly regretted it.

Except Pavel didn't seem to care. He threw his head back again and laughed loudly.

I found myself grinning from ear to ear.

"Now why would you assume that?"

"Because, well, just look at you…" I gestured with my hands.

God, what was I saying? Just digging myself into a bigger hole.

Those massive shoulders shook. "And that just explains everything?"

"Yup. Pretty much."

"Looks ain't everything, baby girl." Pavel stood, threw out his hand. I grabbed it and he hoisted me up. "Let's get back to work."

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

Someone—or something—was watching me.

I could feel their eyes on the back of my neck, my body, my face…all over me.

Except when I turned in the direction of intense scrutiny and observation, I found nothing.

Why was I so paranoid? Probably the cop techniques being hardwired into my brain. Gotta always be on high alert. You never knew what or when something was going to happen.

But then I saw it. Right outside the window, hidden in the trees. A black shadow.

I squinted just as it moved.

"Dimitri!" I exclaimed, tearing his attention away from the case papers we'd been studying over the past few hours.

"What is it?" he demanded, instantly alert. His gun was out and pointed.

Huh. I hadn't even seen him move. Sometimes it was unnerving how fast Dimitri was.

"There's something out there."

I expected him to take it as a joke. To dismiss me by saying, "Oh, it's probably just a bird or squirrel. Nothing to worry about. Get back to work."

Dimitri took me entirely seriously.

"Where?"

I pointed in the direction.

He headed outside with a stern command, "Stay here."

"To hell with that." I stood right on his heels.

Dimitri slid me an exasperated look over his shoulder. "You never listen."

"Partners don't split up!" I whispered fiercely.

"Unless one of them gets themselves killed due to their own stupidity and stubbornness."

I glared holes into the back of his skull.

A tree rustled.

It all happened so fast that it didn't even register in my brain until it was all over with.

Dimitri ran to the targeted area, threw his body up and held onto a thick branch like some kind of spider monkey, and jerked his arm back.

A man fell out of the tree and landed hard on the ground. I heard the wind rush out of him. Dimitri pounced right on top of him, instantly restraining the man.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me. Bobby, what the hell are you doing here?" I demanded.

Bobby was a skinny little thing. Probably only a third the size of the cop smashing his face into the dirt.

"Hey, Rose. What's up?"

Dimitri's head snapped up. "You know this man."

I nodded. "Yeah, it's one of Mason's old friends. Again, _what in the hell_ are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know," Bobby shrugged awkwardly, spitting some rocks from his teeth. "Just checking out the scenery. The dirt here looks and tastes particularly wonderful around this time of year."

"You're working for Ambrose again, aren't you?"

"Another day another dollar."

I cursed. "Damn it, Bobby."

"It's nothing against you, girl. I have to do what I have to do. Can you tell this bully to let up a bit? I can't get any air into my lungs."

"Dimitri," I said, "Let him go."

He eyed me as if I was crazy. It wasn't the first time I'd gotten that look from him, and it certainly wasn't going to be the last.

"I'm serious," I said. "This kid is harmless."

"_Hey_."

"Shut up, Bobby." I shot icily. "And what's the worst he could do? He's gotta weigh only a hundred to a hundred and ten pounds."

"One-hundred and _seventeen_ pounds."

"Your call, Hathaway." Dimitri ripped him up roughly and quickly searched him for anything dangerous. He found a school ID card, some lose change, and a Fruit Roll Ups wrapper.

"Man, the serious damage he could have done with that…" I said sarcastically.

Dimitri rolled his eyes, but remained tense.

I talked to Bobby for awhile. Dimitri stood right by my side the entire time, ready to defend me and protect me. In a world where people were always looking out for themselves, it was nice. The mysterious bond that Dimitri and I had developed over the last few weeks felt good. It was comforting. I hadn't had anyone look out for me since Mason had been murdered, and even he sometimes would turn the knife on me and stick it in my back. Dimitri hadn't betrayed my trust yet.

At first, Bobby was extremely reluctant to give any information up. He claimed he would be a dead man walking if he did. It was a useless and tiring situation, and I was ready to give up. But then Dimitri convinced me to allow him time to talk to Bobby alone. He promised not to harm him in any way, and when the two joined me back in the cabin ten minutes later, Bobby was still in one piece. He just appeared a little more than shaken up, like he'd just watched someone close to him walk in front of a bus.

It was truly a horrible, haunting look. But he wasn't hurt physically.

Whatever Dimitri had said to him had worked, because Bobby immediately spilled his guts.

Ambrose had hired Bobby to keep an eye on Tasha. And on me. He wanted to know what we were doing, who we were hanging out with, and where we slept. Things of that nature.

Seemed harmless, right? Not when you were dealing with a snake like Ambrose.

Not only was my life in danger, but Tasha's was too. Especially now that Ambrose knew exactly where we were. That man was forming some serious plans for us as we spoke.

Unfortunately, Bobby said he didn't know anything about the hooded man that had shot me, and I knew he was being honest.

I encouraged Dimitri to let him go. He did, but not before saying, "If I ever see or hear of you again, know that Ambrose will be the last name on your list of people to worry about."

Bobby nodded and took off as fast as his feet would take him.

"You are such a badass." I looked at Dimitri and grinned. "Good work, partner. High-five!"

Dimitri rolled his eyes and reluctantly clapped hands with me. He pretended to be annoyed, but wasn't careful enough to hide the smile on his face as he turned around. I think I was starting to grow on him.


	10. Chapter 9: Lose Control

**A/N:**

Hey guys! I can't believe I haven't updated this story since _last_ year. Yikes! :/ Regardless, I do hope you enjoy reading this chapter! My new goal is to update this story weekly, so we will see how that goes! Lol. Enjoy & Thanks for being so patient with me! See you all soon! =)

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.<strong>

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

"How's training going?" Lissa asked Tasha, as they zoomed through a mini-marathon on the elliptical trainer. Sweat poured down both of their bodies.

"I don't know why I haven't died yet." She responded, panting like a dog.

"That bad, huh?"

"You have no idea."

They both jumped off their machines.

I chugged an entire bottle of water followed by a blue PowerAde, and was still absolutely ravenous. It was incredible the amount of fluids my body required to do basic functions because of how physically active I had recently become. I used to get winded going up a flight of stairs. Now I owned the world.

"That's not sweat…" Lissa said proudly, swiping a hand over her forehead. "That's the fat crying."

I rolled my eyes and snorted. "You are such a dork. Hey Tash, what time do you have training tonight?...Tash?"

Tasha dabbed the water from her face with a towel, eyes glazed slightly.

I trailed my eyes to where she was staring, across the room.

Pavel was working on weights. In a black tank top. Sweat glistening his skin. Muscles bunching and flexing.

Yeah, I could see why she seemed mesmerized.

The instructor dropped his weights, said something to Ivan who had been spotting him, and the two men laughed. Then he looked over and caught Tasha's eye, gave a heart stopping smile, and winked.

Her cheeks turned bright red. She immediately turned away, embarrassed that she'd been caught totally checking him out.

Lissa wiggled her eyebrows. "Mmm, papi. Good choice, Tasha."

I looked at her, grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't even start with me," Tasha put up a finger to stop me, before following Lissa into the girls locker room.

"Have you banged him yet?"

"Rose!"

* * *

><p>"Graduation is in less than two and a half weeks. Your final exam, which will decide whether you graduate or not, officially starts next Monday." Sydney concluded to the gymnasium full of recruits. "This is what you have all worked so hard for. Don't let us down. And most importantly, don't let yourselves down. Thank you."<p>

As the room began to dissipate, I looked over at Lissa, who was nibbling on her thumb nail and staring blankly into space.

"What's the matter, cupcake?" I gave her shoulder a nudge and stood up, slinging my backpack onto my shoulder.

She seemed to snap out of her spell and came back to reality. "What's the matter? Did you not hear everything that they just told us?"

"Whoa, whoa, Liss. Calm your tits."

"Why aren't you as nervous as I am?"

"The only thing I'm worried about is getting something to eat. I'm so hungry I could eat your arm off right now." As if on queue, my stomach growled.

Lissa's face scrunched. "Ew."

"Come on, let's go." I hooked my arm through hers and headed towards the cafeteria.

"Graduation is in two weeks..."

"I am aware of that."

"And the test starts next Monday."

"I know."

"There's so much pressure. This amount of stress is going to be the death of me."

I squinted to read what was on the menu for today from afar. Pepperoni Pizza, Hamburgers, Chili Dogs, Mac n' Cheese...

"Rose? _Rose._"

"Huh? What. Yeah."

"Why aren't you listening to me?"

"I absolutely am."

"What did I just stay then."

"Listen, Liss. I know there's a lot riding on this for you. For me. For all of us. And we are all sort of freaking out about this exam." I told her. "But instead of breaking under that pressure and that fear you have of not succeeding, take that energy and channel it to something good. And go out there and kick some serious ass. I know you're capable of such great things."

She thought about that for a couple of moments, and then a small smile came across her lips. "Thanks. That actually makes me feel a little bit better."

"Good, now shut your yapper and let's _EAT! _I'm frickin' starved."

* * *

><p>"Your form is pretty much the worst thing I've ever seen."<p>

I glanced over and gave the evil eye. "Now's not the time, Ivashkov. I'm tired, sore as a son of a bitch, and hungry. Not the best combination on me."

"Are you ever _not_ hungry?" Adrian questioned.

I continued to pound the bag with my fists mindlessly, almost numb. All I wanted to do was destroy it. Sweat poured down my body, stinging my wounds. I kept going.

"It's amazing how a girl like you stays so small with the amount of food you eat."

I swear I growled.

Adrian put his hands up. "I'm just trying to help."

"By insulting me? Get the fuck out of here."

He swore under his breath. "Boy, you really are rough around the edges. Just stop for a second. Stop. Please."

My fists fell to my sides and the battered punching bag swung back and forth through the air. I didn't notice until now that the gym was dark and empty except for Adrian and I.

"Where did everyone go?"

"They are all asleep. I went to take a piss and heard grunting noises coming from here. How long have you been here?"

"Since seven."

"PM?"

"In the morning."

"It's eleven-thirty PM." Adrian said, his face shadowed by the dark. "Jesus Christ. You're bleeding."

I looked down and saw red smudges covering the bag, the splatters of deep cranberry on the floor, my hands raw and bruised and dripping blood.

"Cool." I murmured.

"Damn it, Rose. Sit down." He demanded, and surprisingly I listened. The pure exhaustion state my body was in finally registered with my brain, and I was too tired to put up a fight. I had pushed myself too far. My knees felt like jelly as I collapsed down on the mats and lay there.

Adrian appeared above me, and I blinked heavily. Very carefully, and with a surprising amount of gentleness I didn't think he was capable of, he wrapped a cloth around my destroyed fists.

"Hey!" I mumbled, half coherently. "That's your shirt. You totally ruined it with my blood."

"I don't care." There was a sharp edge to his voice. "I'm just worried about you."

"Well, you're the first." I said. "And don't lie...you were just looking for an excuse to get undressed in front of me."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "I'm not entirely naked. Wouldn't want to shock you and throw your body into cardiac arrest or something along those lines."

I snorted. "You're such an ass."

"And you're such a bitch."

I gasped, "I can't believe you just said that."

"So." Adrian said, as he began to cleanse my fingers and scrub off the crusty blood and dirt. "You know it, and so does everyone else."

"True." I shrugged.

Adrian took his time drying my hands, then began spreading ointment over my wounds. Finally, he finished by bandaging them up.

"There." he said. "Good as new. Try to take it easy on those puppies for a while until they heal."

"I had no idea you were so domesticated. Can I make you my future housewife?"

He snorted. "Are you hungry?"

"Duh."

"Let's go then."

"The kitchen is closed."

"Not for us."

I gave him a strange look. "I can't move...Ow! Ow! _Owwwwww!_"

Adrian scooped me up. "Oh, quit your bitching."

I smacked him in the back of the head.

"Would you like me to drop you right here?"

Concrete. No way. "No. Sorry."

We made it to the cafeteria and he slowly set me down on my feet.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. It was dark and freezing outside. Plus, Yogi could be out hunting for a late night snack.

"Getting us some grub."

"Don't tell me you're going to pick the lock...oh Lord, you're picking the lock."

The lock busted and the door opened. He smiled victoriously at me.

"That was pretty bad ass." I had to admit.

Fifteen minutes later, we were completely stuffed full of microwaved pizza and sugary treats.

I stared at Adrian in the dark for moments, realizing that I felt happy and relaxed around him. He was fun. He was careless. When I'd become so accustomed to the uptight atmosphere and high expectations that constantly surrounded the academy, it was nice to just be myself and let my hair down for a little while, so to speak.

My traitor eyes traveled down on their own accord. Hey, I might be entirely in love with another person, but I was still a girl. I enjoyed some eye candy here and there.

Adrian was hot, undeniably. With nice arms, a broad chest, hard stomach...

"Sorry, Hathaway." His voice jolted me back to reality. "I don't put out on the first date. I'm just not that kind of guy."

I snorted and regained my cool. "You're so full of shit."

"Okay, okay. _Sheesh_. You just can't take no for an answer, can you? I will make an exception for you. Next time I expect to be wined and dined first."

I rolled my eyes, and suddenly became serious. "Thank you."

"For what?"

Holding up my hands, I said, "These. It's been awhile since anyone has taken care of me like that. I really appreciate it."

Then I surprised the both of us by reaching forward and hugging him. When I sat back, Adrian was grinning.

"Can I get just one more of those? I didn't feel the appreciation in that one..."

"Shut up!" I smacked his arm and stood up, very slowly and painfully. "Shit!"

"If you think you're sore now, you're going to feel dead in the morning."

"Tell me about it." I winced. "I have to get some rest. Good night, Adrian."

* * *

><p><em>Smack!<em>

"Holy shit!" I groaned in pain. "What the hell?"

I looked up through a tangled web of brown, curly hair, and spotted Dimitri standing there, pissed off as ever. That was his usual look. I would be lying if I said it no longer intimidated me.

"Did you seriously just flip my mattress over while I was sleeping?"

"You're late."

I looked around the empty cabin. No recruits. It was also sunny outside, indicating that I had overslept by several hours. Shoot.

"That's still no reason to get your panties in a twist."

"Grow up." He threw a fresh sweatsuit at me. "Get dressed and get out there, or I will kick your ass and drag you by your hair to where you're supposed to be."

"You can't hit a girl! That would be domestic abuse!"

"No, it wouldn't. You aren't my wife." Dimitri leaned down, put our faces inches apart. "And while you're in my academy Rose, I'll do what I damn well please with you."

I gulped, and felt the heat pour over my body. Damn it. My muscles were already on fire.

He turned around and left, and I instantly felt the loss. Boy, I had a rainbow of emotions for that man, didn't I. Hatred. Anger. Lust. More anger. More Lust. Even More anger and lust. Love...

I shook my head to clear my ridiculous thoughts and quickly got dressed.

* * *

><p>Training was as it usually was - beyond brutal. It seemed as if no matter the amount of muscle I gained or how much endurance I had built up or how high my pain tolerance became, I never got used to what those instructors put us through on a daily basis.<p>

Inside the cafeteria, I grabbed two trays and made my way through the food selections. Not even halfway through the line it was time for a third tray, but I was too lazy to go back and grab one so I began stacking goodies on other goodies.

I spotted Dimitri in line and swiftly scooted over to him, eager to get an update on Mason's case. "Anything new?" I asked.

He glanced at my rather full tray and briefly lifted a brow in question.

"Sort of beautiful, isn't it? I had no idea I was so artistically talented."

Dimitri ignored that. "Nothing worth reporting."

"Are you serious?" I whined, taking a chomp from a bagel. "This is unlike anything I've seen on Law and Order: SVU. It's taking _so_ long. And it's _so boring_."

"You do realize that show is fiction, I hope."

I stared him as I chugged my chocolate milk.

"This is real life, Rose. You have to be patient. We aren't going to solve this over night. It might take many more months, possibly even years."

Popping some Cheetos into my mouth, I exclaimed, "Years? _Years? _We don't have years! I want whoever did this to pay for what they did. It's not fair that Mason is six feet under while they are out there living their life."

"You think I don't want justice too, Rose? Everything takes time." He locked eyes with me and put his hand on my shoulder. "We will figure this out. I promise you."

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling assured and strangely safe. "I didn't mean to freak out on you. It's just I've been really worried lately and I'm an emotional eater, you know. It's not healthy. I could start gaining weight."

Dimitri's gaze swept slowly - and I swear appreciatively - over my body. He cleared his throat. "Yes, clearly all of this stress eating has been wreaking havoc on your figure." he replied dryly.

I socked him in the arm and laughed loudly. "Oh, my god! My sarcasm is totally rubbing off on you. You're starting to become a little smartass yourself!"

Dimitri rolled his eyes and made a dismissive gesture with his hand, but he knew I was right. Amusement was written all over him, even though he tried his hardest to hide it.

"Hey, Little Lady," Came a familiar voice over my shoulder. "How can you eat so much and look as good as you do?"

Dimitri's gaze hardened and he slipped on that damn detective mask. "I'll talk to you later." He gave me one last look and left. On his way out, I saw him flip open his cellphone and hold it to his ear.

I turned around and socked Adrian in the shoulder. Hard.

"Ow!" He rubbed the sore spot. "What the hell, Rose?"

"You ruin everything!" I growled, annoyed.

"I take care of you and this is the kind treatment I get? Oh, the _humanity!_"

"Shut up." I smiled and couldn't resist. I punched him again in the same spot. "Thanks again, douche bag."

"Ouch! Son of a-"

His words were drowned out as I turned around and jogged to catch up to Dimitri. The long-legged Russian was already at his cabin door, unlocking it. Damn. He was fast. And really tall.

"Now is not the time, Rose." He said without turning around. Did he have eyes in the back of his head? I swear I had been so quiet.

"It's never the right time with you. At least when it regards me." I said.

Dimitri entered his home and went straight for his room. I followed.

"What's going on? Why the panic and hurry?"

No response.

"Does it have to do with Mason?"

Nothing.

"_Hello_, Cop." I said, waving my hands. "Can you hear me? Stop ignoring me."

And then all thoughts I had vanished. Completely. Without a trace.

Dimitri started to undress. Right before my eyes. Like I wasn't even there.

I think a part of my soul died and went to heaven. I was never the same Rose again.

He ripped his shirt over his head. Unbuttoned his jeans and dropped them.

Trying to pick my jaw off the floor, I murmured, "I was right."

"About what?" He pulled on his police uniform shirt and quickly buttoned.

"You're a boxer-briefs man."

The edges of Dimitri's full mouth twitched as he fought his smile. Then it dropped completely. "What kind of man is Adrian?"

I glared. "I can't believe you just asked that."

He buttoned his pants and worked on his boots. "So are you going to answer it or not."

That pissed me off. "Why would I know? He's just my friend."

"The way you two were last night seemed more than friendly," he replied dryly.

"Are you stalking me?"

"I always keep an eye on you, Rose."

"That's creepy."

Dimitri shrugged carelessly. "I am aware of everything that happens on these grounds."

"I didn't kiss you because I wanted Tasha to stay." I blurted. "I did it because I wanted to."

He narrowed my eyes. "I can't get into that right now. I have to go."

"Where are you going?"

He grabbed his keys and headed for the door. "Police station."

"Is it an emergency?"

"Yes." He opened the door.

"Wait, wait." I slammed it shut and his jaw clenched. God, it was so easy to piss him off. That was funny.

"I hope this is important."

"It is." I said. "Kiss me."

"_What?_" His thick accent came out like he was cursing.

"I want you to kiss me."

Dimitri stared at me, bottomless eyes hard. "Why?"

"What if you get shot or killed while you're on duty?" I asked. "Wouldn't you want to - _damn_ it, why do I have to explain myself? If you give a damn about me or have a shred of the feelings I have for you, then you'll kiss me right damn now before you go out there risking your life for someone else-"

"You're so dramatic." Dimitri grabbed my face and pressed his mouth hard against mine. It was rough and forceful and only lasted a second, but I was left breathless.

He rubbed his thumb against my lips and stared at me for a long moment before stepping back and leaving.

* * *

><p><strong>LPOV:<strong>

It was 3:34 AM. Absolutely pitch dark outside. Not one ounce of light. You couldn't even see two feet in front of you.

I banged on the door as hard as my fists would let me. It was a surprise the bones in my hands hadn't shattered. Maybe they had. I didn't care.

"Christian! Christian! _Christian!_" I screamed at the top of my lungs, absolutely hysterical. He was the only instructor on the academy grounds right now. All of the others were in town investigating a shooting at the station. "Christian! I need you! Please open up!"

The lights snapped on a split second before the door flew open. "What is it? What's wrong?" Christian demanded, gun at his side. He had obviously been sound asleep since his hair was a mess and he was shirtless.

"Rose and Tasha are gone."


	11. Chapter 10: Survivor

**A/N:**

Hey, guys! Here's your promised weekly update! =) Just a warning, this chapter is **Rated M** for lots of swearing and violent scenes. So if you don't have a strong stomach, you might want to skip it. Otherwise, I hope you all enjoy! See you guys next week!

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

My head was killing me. Every beat of my heart was like getting socked in the side of the skull. I fought to open eyes and instantly regretted it. The lights seemed blinding.

"Fuck me." I groaned.

Touching the left side of my face gently, I winced. I felt my way up to where it hurt most and discovered sticky, warm liquid. And lots of it. Blood. "_Shit._" This wasn't good.

For a very brief moment, my thoughts went wild. Maybe this was just a test Dimitri and the other instructors had designed for us recruits. Maybe it was part of the graduation exam. Maybe I had to find all possible escape routes and deal with any possible obstacles on the way out. Maybe I was on a time limit and had to find a way out of here quickly before I failed the assessment.

Thank god rationality set in. Because I knew, no matter how evil and entirely brutal Dimitri could be a times - okay, most of the time - he would never, ever take something this far. And I certainly knew that, though the urge to kick my ass had probably run very strong multiple times daily ever since I had met him, Dimitri wouldn't knock me out cold. At least not without getting me medical treatment immediately thereafter.

I certainly wasn't in a hospital.

Peeling my lids open, I fought past the eye-watering pain, and inspected my surroundings. I searched for escape routes and anything I could possibly use as a weapon to defend myself. Just like Dimitri had taught me. As it turns out, he actually came in handy here and there. Damn, I missed that dickhead. If I made it out of here alive I was going to tell him just how much I loved and cared for him.

It was a room. A very large and luxurious one, I might add. It had shiny hardwood floors, a crackling fireplace, a bed fit for a king with a silk white blanket and a fancy canopy overhead. For some reason, I expected Hugh Hefner to pop out. That's how bomb this place was. And I don't use the word bomb lightly.

"Rose? Rose?" Came a low, hysterical feminine voice.

I looked to my right. "_Tasha._" the word exploded from my lungs like I had been punched in the gut. "No. They got you, too. Not you."

"Are you okay?"

"Fine enough." I said. "Do you know where we are?"

Wherever it was it wasn't good. She was duct taped to a chair. I noticed a gash above her eyebrow, but other than that, she seemed in decent condition. At least physically speaking.

Tasha nodded frantically, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Well, come on, we don't have all day!" I growled, and instantly regretted it. She whimpered. I needed to be more gentle and not scare her. Otherwise she'd be useless.

"Honey, please, tell me. I need you to help me. We need to get out of here sooner rather than later."

"Ambrose." That one word was all I needed to know. That snake. "We are in Ambrose's bedroom."

I jumped up. The world spun. I moaned in pain as dark spots showered my vision. Regaining balance, I told the pain to fuck off, and began ripping the tape of Tasha as fast as I could.

"Hurry up. He'll be back any moment." Tasha urged.

"I am." I snapped. Blood dripped faster, covering her lap. Then the dripping turned to a stream of crimson. Everything got blurry. Then even more blurry. The pounding in my skull became unbearable, until it was all I could think about. Damn it. I was failing her. I was failing both of us. All over one stupid injury.

I swayed like an idiot, fought to keep ripping the duct tape off her body, focused hard on staying conscious...

"Rose! He's coming!" Tasha cried. "Run! Please, get out of here!"

I turned around. It was too late. Ambrose came at me full speed.

Ducking just in time to miss his fist, I scrambled across the floor and jumped to my feet.

"Miss me, cupcake?" I smiled. He hadn't expected me to be up so early after such a significant injury. He'd probably assumed me dead.

"I'm going to make you regret that, bitch." Ambrose drove his hand against my throat and slammed me against the wall. "You took her away from me! You shouldn't have done that!."

Beside us was a polished grand cherry-wood vanity, with vases filled with yellow roses and a silver tray holding an array of expensive looking perfumes. I assumed they had been Tasha's when she lived here. Sorry, girl. I'd have to buy her some new ones for her birthday. It was a sloppy grab, but I managed to get a handful of mini bottles. I smashed them against Ambroses head, aiming for his face and eyes.

He roared and dropped his hold on me, stumbling backwards. I sprinted for Tasha but never reached her. Ambrose grabbed my leg and ripped me back with a force that stunned me. My body dropped to the floor, and all of the air escaped me. I desperately gasped for oxygen.

Ambrose went to jump on top of me. Before he could, I lifted my leg and kicked him, with all the power I had in me. The sound of the impact made me cringe.

"Shit." I worked hard to control my breathing, dangerously close to hyperventilating. "Your bitch ass is going to be down for a while."

Struggling to my feet, I used the walls and the edge of a dresser to keep me elevated, and stumbled over to Tasha. It took longer than I had liked it to release her from her binds.

I should have never turned my back on a snake. It was an incredibly stupid move. I would have gotten shit about this from Dimitri. I nearly smiled, wishing more than anything to have him pissed off at me one more time. Anything was better than this.

Tasha screamed, "_Rose! Watch out!_"

But it was too late. I took another blow to the head. And the world vanished.

* * *

><p>I was so over this pain in my head. Really, it was just getting old. I needed a break. Too bad I wasn't going to get one anytime soon.<p>

"Don't act so innocent, baby girl." That was Ambrose's voice. "You're in this just as deep as I am. If not deeper."

"I would have never done it on my own. You made me do it. It's your fault!" Okay, Tasha's voice.

"Not entirely. Remember that before you decide to run your mouth next time."

I heard a scratching sound, as if someone was gathering saliva in their mouth. Then the spitting noise.

_Slap._

A painful noise escaped Tasha. "I hate you! You disgust me on a level I never knew existed before."

I groaned and tried to move. Bad idea. The pain shot from my skull all the way down my spine, like a million needles. I gasped from the pain that nearly made me pass out again.

"Look who's awake." Footsteps. And then the blindfold was ripped from my face. Ambrose grabbed hold of my jaw and smiled down at me.

"You better hope I never get out these ropes." I told him.

"Why is that?"

"I'll kill you. That's a promise."

"What if I kill you first?"

"_Fuck_ you."

My head kicked to the side, and surprisingly not completely clean off with the amount of force he'd put behind that bitch slap. I tasted salt and warmth.

"I know you killed Mason," I spit out blood. "How could you do that to your own brother?"

Okay, I honestly didn't know who killed Mason. I just figured I'd throw that out there and see what happened. Maybe he would slip up and tip me off to who had really done it. In all honesty, I couldn't seem to comprehend the words that were coming out of my mouth, or anything that was going on around me for that matter. Maybe I was losing my mind from all the blood loss and pain.

I never, in a million years, expected Ambrose to say what he did next.

"My brother liked to run his mouth a lot. Sometimes about things that were meant to be a secret." Ambrose ran his finger gently along Tasha's jaw. "He had to be taken care of. Isn't that right, baby?"

If I hadn't felt so numb, so drained of energy and life, I could have given some reaction, felt something for his confession - sadness, maybe. Confusion. Rage. But nothing happened inside of me. It was like I was blank. Like I'd seen and heard too much to even care anymore.

"Why are you telling me this?" I slurred, jaw working slowly and painfully to pronounce each syllable. "Aren't you afraid I'll turn you in?"

"No." he replied. "You wouldn't do that."

"Why not, asshole?"

"Because I know you wouldn't do that to Tasha...even though she deserves to pay just as much as I do, if not more." Ambrose said. "Besides, you'll be dead before you ever have the chance to."

The significance of his words finally registered with my brain, and it shattered my heart into pieces. It had nothing to do with the fact that I would never make it out of this situation alive. But the possibility that one of my closest friends had something to do with murder of someone I had loved very dearly.

I managed to look over at Tasha with question in my eyes, and the answer was crystal clear in her ice-blue ones.

"I'm so sorry," Tasha sobbed, water spilling down her cheeks. "Oh, my god. I'm so sorry, Rose."

Tasha had been the one to come into our apartment that night. The one dressed in all back. The one who had put the pillow over Mason's face while he slept and pulled the trigger. The one who had jumped out of the window before I could do anything about it.

I saw the raw guilt on her face. She looked utterly torn apart, like she'd lost the fight. And she had.

I had nothing but room for forgiveness in my heart. "It's okay..." I told her, throat burning from the huge lump in my throat. "It's okay. I still love you so much. Never forget that. No matter what happens. It's _not_ your fault."

It was Ambrose's. Tasha would never commit such an act on her own. He had likely threatened to kill her if she didn't comply with his orders - just like he had done so many times before. What a manipulative, evil, psychotic snake.

* * *

><p><strong>LPOV:<strong>

"Right here! Turn left here! Right fucking here, Christian!" I covered my mouth. "Sorry. That's not like me. I'm just really stressed right now."

Christian cracked a smile and made a sharp turn. "You sure this is the place?"

"Yes, positive." I glanced in the review mirror. Following behind us were two patrol cars and Dimitri's black Escalade. "This is where we picked up Tasha that one night in the school bus."

He laughed heartily. "I still can't believe you and Rose did that. You two are the shit."

I smiled. "Thanks. Okay, _that_ house!"

I jumped out of the passenger side before the car even skidded to a halt. Doors slammed shut.

"Easy there, tiger. You can't just charge in there." Christian came around and forced me behind him. His hand was on his gun holster. "You need a search warrant or permission from the owner to enter the house legally. Let's go try the door and see if anyone answers."

"Ha! You're joking, right?" I reached down and picked up a heavy rock. Then flung it right through the window. Glass exploded everywhere.

"Lissa, damn it." Christian cursed. "What the fuck are you doing?"

I kicked out some nasty looking large shards. Then climbed inside the mansion and into what appeared to be the dining room. Then I turned back and tossed Christian a grin. "Here's your reason to enter the house. Come and get me!"

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

Glass shattered. We all looked up. Ambrose ran over, peered out the window, and cursed. "No. Shit no. Fuck no! No! No! No! This is not happening right now."

"Cops, huh?" I laughed in relief. Thanks for saving my ass, Liss. "Karma is a bitch, huh? What goes around comes around. Looks like you're finally getting yours, asshole."

Ambrose ignored that and rushed over to Tasha. He grabbed her face in both hands and kissed her long and hard, like he was saying goodbye. Oh, lord - don't tell me the little bitch was going to run.

Ambrose reached down into his pocket. "I'm so sorry, baby. This isn't how our story was supposed to end." He said, kissing her cheek one last time. Then he raised the gun to Tasha's head and pulled the trigger.

Blood splattered everywhere, covering the room. My face. My ears. My eyes. I could even taste it on my tongue.

I screamed. This had to be a bad dream. I prayed to God. _Please let this be a bad dream! _I never wanted to wake up so bad in my life.

As it turned out, this nightmare was far from over.

Ambrose came towards me, raised his arm, and shot me in the chest.

* * *

><p><strong>LPOV<strong>**:**

"Shots fired! I report shots fired!" Dimitri barked into his radio. "We need backup and ambulances at 8370 West Ryland Road."

The police men and women knocked me out of the way to get by. I followed them. They headed upstairs towards where the sound of shots had come from.

My heart was pounding like a drum from adrenaline. I had never been so terrified in my life. But I wanted to do whatever I could to help protect my best friend, even if it meant risking my own life. I only hoped it wasn't too late to save hers.

I had the most sinking feeling of dread as the police entered that room, weapons drawn. Victoria, the closest officer to me, gasped and said a rushed prayer in her native tongue. She ended it by kissing the cross around her neck.

"What? What is it?" I demanded.

Christian turned around and grabbed me, covering my eyes with his hand. "Don't look. Don't look. Come with me."

"Let me go!" I growled, ripping free of him. I instantly wished I had listened to him. Dropping to my knees, I immediately began violently vomiting.

It was like the scene of a horror movie. I had never seen so much blood in my life. "Is that..._Rose?_" I screamed. "Rose!"

This time when Christian grabbed me, I let him. He hugged me and I wrapped my arms around him. I watched over his shoulder as the world went by in slow motion. All of it just didn't seem real to me. This couldn't be happening.

Pavel's face was blank and grave as he walked over to Tasha, and as gentle as could be, shut her eyelids. She looked more peaceful that way, like she was resting.

"She was too young." was all he said as he stared down at her destroyed body. It was a blank stare, as if he was looking through her and not at her.

Dimitri pulled out his knife and released Rose's limp arms from their binds. "I'm so sorry I failed you, Roza..." He bit through the words, as he grabbed hold of her wrist and kissed the inside of her lifeless palm.

"I can't see anymore of this." I told Christian. "Take me away from here. Please."

"Of course."

And then I heard the most beautiful words...

"She has a pulse!"


	12. Chapter 11: Guilty, Confused, & Lost

**A/N:**

Hey, guys! Here's your promised weekly update! =) Sorry it's a bit shorter than usual, but I promise next weeks chapter will be longer. Thanks for all the amazing reviews! Also, I just want to wish **Miss Roz Hay **a Happy Birthday! Enjoy & see you all next week! =)

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

"That's really annoying..." I groaned. "Turn off the alarm clock. I don't care if I'm late for practice today. Dimitri can kiss my ass."

There was a soft chuckle, and warmth spread through me. "Good to have you back, Rose."

I opened my eyes. "Ugh! Close the drapes, too! The sun is blinding!"

A large dark form came towards me, blocking out some of the bright lights. I blinked a few times until my vision was cleared.

"Good morning, good lookin'." I smiled, comforted by his presence. "Mmmm...how I love a man in uniform."

"Would you like some water?"

"Yes, please." I croaked. "My throat feels like sandpaper."

Dimitri handed me a cup and stared down at me. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got ran over by a diesel truck," I said, lifting the cup to my lips. I noticed I'd pulled on something, and glanced down. It was an IV taped to my hand. I looked around me. There were all sorts of things attached to me - like a billion IV's, a pincher thing on my finger that was flashing red, a heart monitor.

"I'm in a frickin' hospital." I realized, and then it slammed into me like a freight train. I had the urge to scream. To hit someone. To throw things. To bawl like a baby.

But instead I began ripping needles from my body. _Pluck. Pluck. Pluck._ The machines went berserk.

"Are you out of your damn mind?" Dimitri growled, forcing me back down.

"Let go of me!" I snarled, fighting against him. It was impossible, like trying to roll a boulder off of me. "I have to get out of here! I have to find Ambrose, now! He killed Tasha!"

Dimitri replied crisply, "You were shot in the chest, and the bullet missed your heart by a millimeter. You lost so much blood your body required three transfusions. You barely survived multiple emergency surgeries. You've been out cold for a week. And now you want to pull this shit? Calm the _fuck_ down."

His words shocked me for a moment as they settled in. However, I didn't matter. All I cared about was Tasha. She deserved justice. And so did Mason.

"Where is Ambrose?"

"In custody."

A sense of relief washed over me, so overpowering and consuming all I could do was hug Dimitri so hard. And then I stuffed my face in his shoulder and cried. Not just normal crying, where you shed a couple of tears here and there. I'm talking about full blown, red faced, sobbing, crying so hard you can't hardly breathe. We stayed like that, just holding each other, until I had no tears left in me.

Dimitri pulled back, looked at me for a long moment, then kissed my forehead. "I wish I knew how to express to you how sorry I am."

"It doesn't matter now." My voice was raw, like I'd swallowed a bucket of sand. "What's done is done. Where did you find Ambrose?"

"Near the back of his home. Hiding in the woods."

"Figures. What a coward." I muttered. "I'm so tired. I just want to go to sleep now. But I want to make sure you caught him."

Something flashed in his eyes as he stood up. "You don't trust me?"

I shook my head. "No. That's not it. I just have to see it for myself, you know? I don't think I'll be able to sleep if I don't."

"Here..." Dimitri walked over, picked up a file, and slid something out of it. He handed it to me. "This is his booking photograph."

"Dimitri," I said, feeling like I was going to be sick. "This isn't him. It's Dominic, his older brother. You caught the wrong guy, and Ambrose is still out there."

* * *

><p>It was a classic case of, 'If I can't have you, then no one can.' I couldn't believe it had been over a week ago that Tasha had been kidnapped then murdered by the only man she had ever loved. My every waking thought was consumed with Tasha. She was all my mind could concentrate on. I saw her face every time I closed my eyes. The dreams of her haunted me.<p>

Today was Tasha's funeral.

I dressed accordingly in a black dress to hide the bandage over my chest, a hat to cover the line of stitches on my temples, and glasses to mask the deep black circles that had developed due to my nonexistent sleep schedule. I still felt the same way I did on the inside - dead.

The entire academy, including recruits and instructors, along with a very small portion of Tasha's family - the ones that had actually given a damn about her - attended the ceremony.

It was shocking how it was possible to feel like this. I was numb to the core. My feelings were there - the sadness, the heartache, the loss, the longing to have Tasha back - but they were so drowned out by all the anger I felt they might as well have not been there at all.

The whole funeral went by in a blur, and I didn't pay attention to what was said or who cried or anything of that nature. But I remember, at the very end, when they were about to lower her body into the earth, something Pavel did that gave me chills.

He walked up to Tasha's casket, stared at it for a long moment, then pulled out a badge from his pocket and set it on top of her resting place. It was his way of making her a cop, of showing that even though she was no longer here, she still accomplished great things in her life and absolutely deserved the honor of receiving a badge.

As Tasha was laid to rest and the music played, I said a small prayer and blew her a final kiss goodbye.

It broke my heart to know that she had been taken away so soon and so suddenly, but at least I had the peace of mind knowing that she no longer had to be put through the living hell that was Ambrose. She no longer had to live in constant fear of a man who believed he had owned her. Tasha was where she was supposed to be now. She could forever rest quietly in her place in heaven. Exactly where an angel like her belonged.

* * *

><p>"Congratulations, Rose." Dimitri said, as he presented me with my badge. "You did it."<p>

"Thanks." I managed a smile, as pictures were taken.

I stepped down and joined Lissa. "Hey, partner."

"Can you believe it? We graduated! We're totally cops now!" Lissa squeezed me in a hug that was full of love. "I'm so proud of you."

"I'm even prouder of you." I told her. "We're going to be the most badass motherfuckers around here."

Lissa let out a small laugh and bumped fists with me. "Love you, sis."

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>"He's going to run." Lissa said.<p>

"No, he's not." I replied, staring at the man who stared right back at me. He wasn't very tall, maybe five-foot-seven or eight. Shaved head. Covered in tattoos. His eyes were black. Total junkie.

"Bet you five bucks he will - oh, looks like you owe me five bucks." Lissa hopped in the squad car. She was a fantastic driver. And I was the fantastic runner.

I took off after him.

"Damn, for being on the chunkier side, you can run pretty damn fast!" I panted, as I pursued him.

He had robbed a local gas station and gotten away with a measly thirty-five dollars. Despite remembering all the times I had been in his exact position, where I had been so desperate for money and food that I had resorted to stealing to get by, I had a very hard time finding an ounce of sympathy. He had the power to change his situation, to do something with his life, but he made the decision to take the easy route out and take from people who worked their butt off and earned their living.

The police car roared beside us as my new partner trailed us.

The man climbed over a fence like some spider monkey and hopped down. I was right behind him. He whipped down an alley.

"Got you now, bitch!"

At the very end of the alley, Lissa hit the brakes. He slammed into the hood of the car, and I smashed against him. We both grunted at the impact.

"You have the right to remain silent." I panted. "Anything you do or say can and will be held against you in a court of law..."

As I read him off the Miranda rights, I cuffed him and shoved him into the back of the police vehicle. I couldn't believe I was saying the same words Dimitri had to me the day he'd met and arrested me all those months ago. It was incredible how far I had come, how much I had changed, how strong I had become on a physical and mental level. No one could take this away from me - I had earned it with my own sweat, blood, and the rare tear.

* * *

><p>"You're telling me it's been over a month since Ambrose murdered Tasha, and you still have no clue regarding his whereabouts."<p>

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Rose." Dimitri pressed his fists against his desk and leaned forward, eyes daring me to challenge him. "How many times do I have to repeat myself before you can comprehend this situation?"

"Maybe if you actually did your job and gave me some fucking answers, it would make more sense to me."

His eyes flashed. "I would watch the way you speak to me, Hathaway. Don't forget your place."

"I can't just stand here and do nothing, Dimitri! I feel like I'm losing my mind." I confessed, rubbing the smooth scar over my heart. "It's like my brain won't allow me to understand all of this. I miss Tasha so much. I would give anything to trade places with her. She deserves to be here. I don't."

"You have a purpose, and there's a reason you beat all odds on that operating table and survived. You are meant to be here, Rose. Don't ever question that."

Turning around, I stared beyond the blinds of Dimitri's office. It was late and the police station was mostly dark, except for the few lights that were still being used for the phone operators. I gasped when something touched me, bringing me out of my thoughts. But relaxed when I sensed Dimitri behind me and felt his arms come around my body.

"What are you doing?" I asked, shocked.

We worked and spent a significant amount of time together on both Tasha and Mason's case, but Dimitri hadn't showed me a shred of affection since that day in the hospital. And he hadn't kissed me since that day in his cabin. It was stunning that he was giving me attention now that was even remotely romantic.

"Am I not allowed to touch you?"

"I don't know. _Are you?_"

He let go of me and returned to his desk. "I apologize. That was very unprofessional of me."

"Oh, here we go again! I'm sick of these head games. You're so hot and cold."

"I just tried to hold you and your whole body went tense like you were cozying up to a venomous snake. What am I supposed to believe, Rose?"

"Are you out of your mind? How have I not shown you that I want to be with you? You act like you can't stand to be in the same room as me. " I said. "You don't give a damn about me. Which is unfortunate as fuck, because I care about you so fucking much."

Dimitri shot to his feet and came at me full force. "Don't tell me how I'm feeling." he growled, towering over me.

"Actions speak louder than words." I shot back, ripping open the door. "I'm so tired and done here. I have to go. Have a great night, Belikov."

For some reason, I expected him to chase me. I _wanted_ him to chase me, to stop me from leaving. I wanted him to yell and tell me how wrong I was. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me, drag me back into that office, and make love to me all night. But mostly, I wanted him to show me how much he loved and cared for me.

This wasn't a fairy tale, though. This was real life. And all of that never happened. I remember looking back at Dimitri one last time before I exited the building and headed home. He just stood there, watching me. And when he let me go like that, I felt like I had lost it all.

I guess I really was the only person I could rely on and trust. I had changed, I could feel it so strongly. I wasn't the same person anymore. I was hardened, mature, brave, wise, and I was no longer going to take chances anymore - because look where they had gotten me so far. My sense of duty ran strong and I had become a cop for a reason, with one mission in mind - to find Ambrose and make him pay for what he had done. Payback was a real bitch.


	13. Chapter 12: All I Ever Wanted

**A/N:**

Here's your promised weekly update! Enjoy! =)

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.<strong>

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

There was a firm knock, followed by the doorbell. I looked up from my jelly donut, and frowned. It was seven in the morning. Way too early for visitors.

"Want me to get it?" Lissa asked. She was my awesome new roommate and partner in crime.

"I'm not going to." I said grumpily, sipping on my iced coffee.

She rolled those huge jade-green eyes of hers. "So that's a yes."

"Yes, no, maybe so..." I mumbled, busy with finishing up my breakfast.

I heard the door open, and Lissa let out a surprised _oh._ I tensed and settled my hand on the gun.

"Well good morning!" she said cheerfully, and I relaxed. There was a low, steady voice, but I couldn't really make out any of the words.

"Rose, um, someone is here to see you…"

I leaned back in my chair to get a glimpse, and when I saw who it was, lost the balance I had going on and the chairs wooden legs slipped out from under me. _Crash._ My body somehow managed to slam down on my back, then do an awkward flip and twist. Long story short, I ended up landing on my feet.

"Dimitri," I said flatly as I walked to the front door, trying to pretend like all that clumsiness didn't happen. The man had the nerve to have the ghost of a smile on his stupid—sensual—mouth.

"I'll let you guys talk." Lissa said, grabbing her purse from the counter and fishing the keys out. "Christian and I are working on, uh, something together. See you guys later."

"What do you want?" I asked him.

My best friend stomped on my foot as she passed by and shot me a warning look. _Have some respect! Do you want to get fired? He is our boss, dumbass! _That's what those evil eyes of her said.

I stared at Dimitri once Lissa was gone, feeling overheated with anger. I was burning up. Absolutely pissed off, like a fire ant whose hill had just been kicked.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked.

"Actually I do."

"Too bad." he slid passed me. "I was just asking to be polite."

"Control freak." I muttered under my breath, and slammed the door shut.

"Would you like something to drink? Water, soda, tea?"

Dimitri arched an eyebrow, surprised by my generosity. "No, thank you. I'm fine."

"Good. I wasn't going to get you anything anyways. I'm not that polite."

"Really?" he mocked. "You've had me fooled this entire time."

"What do you want, Belikov? I know you came here for a reason. Quit wasting my time and get on with it."

"We received a break in Ambrose's case." Dimitri said. "One of his past girlfriends named Ilianna came forward when she saw reports of him on the news. The two have been in contact, and the last time she spoke to him was yesterday at 7:04 PM when he asked that she rent him a car."

I smacked my hands together. "_Hell yeah!_ That's what I'm talking about!" I ran, hopped on top of the couch that separated us, and tackled Dimitri in a hug that nearly sent him flying into the wall.

Dimitri chuckled in surprise, regained his balance, and wrapped his arms around me. I hung onto him like a monkey, legs circled tightly around his waist.

"When is this all going down?"

"Tonight at eleven."

"Can I go? Can I go? Can I go?" I bounced up and down excitedly, like a five year old all pumped up on a sugar rush. "_Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee e._"

"Yes, only if you stop doing that." Dimitri grunted, eyes flared. "Right now."

"Thank you!" I listened, and glanced down at his lips. I had a rush of energy and joy, felt so absolutely alive and on fire, and a wicked thought passed through my mind. _Oh, what the hell! You only live once. I might as well make the most of it._

I kissed Dimitri hard, and this time he didn't push me away or tell me to stop. He remained stiff and deadly still for a brief moment, then kissed me back with full force. I gasped at his response—he seemed even more eager than I was!

He pulled back for air. We were both breathing quite heavily. I stuffed my hands in his hair, trying to wrench him closer, desperately wanting more. This man was like oxygen to me. I needed him to live.

"Tell me to stop now," Dimitri growled, his accent thicker than I had ever heard it. "Or else I won't be able to."

"_Are you out of your damn mind?_" I demanded, panting. "Just shut up and kiss me!"

He didn't hesitate for a split second and did exactly that.

"Bed?" I mumbled against his full mouth, trying to get words out. "Upstairs. Left…room…is…mine."

"Too far away." Dimitri fell back on the couch. "This is perfect."

He ripped off my shirt and gazed appreciatively, licking his lips like he was starved. He slid his shirt over his head, then carefully flipped me over and covered me with his body. I had never felt so warm, so safe and protected, like nothing in the world could hurt me.

"Tell me you want me," I said, voice rough and low.

"I want you." Those bottomless eyes locked with mine.

"Say it again."

"I want you, Roza."

* * *

><p>When I woke up, I was in my bed. It was dark outside. I was naked. And alone.<p>

Frowning, I wondered tragically, _Had that all just been some astonishing, terribly naughty dream? _

But then I stretched. My body hurt but I also felt blissful, and I wouldn't trade the aches and soreness for anything in the world. I was absolutely refreshed. I don't think I had ever slept that good or deeply before.

I breathed in deeply. There were some wonderful smells coming from downstairs. I quickly showered, tossed on some jeans and a warm sweater, and headed for the kitchen.

Dimitri was there, near the stove. He had his back to me. The ends of his hair were wet so he had clearly showered. Sadly, he was fully dressed. I stared for a moment, feeling like I was suffocating, as the memories of what we had done together flooded me.

"Hi." I said shyly. What was wrong with me? It was like my cool had been stolen.

Dimitri turned around and gave that smile he reserved only for me. Goddamn it—he was too damn good looking. Those perfect white teeth, sensuous mouth, intense eyes that seemed to look right through me…

My traitorous eyes flickered down on their own accord. That wasn't the only intense thing about him. I blushed.

"Are you hungry?" Dimtiri asked, brow arched. There was a hint of amusement in his voice. He had clearly caught me looking. My cheeks got even hotter.

"Starved." I answered, sitting down at the table. "You're cooking for me…"

"You sound surprised."

"Pleasantly surprised," I said. "Not a bad surprise. There's a difference between the two."

"Perhaps there is." He set a plate piled with eggs, bacon and toast down in front of me. I grabbed my fork, but before I could dig in, Dimitri leaned down, grabbed my face and gave me a gentle, lingering kiss.

I was struck stupid, steel reeling, as he sat across from me and began eating.

"Um…"I tried really hard to think, but nothing came to mind. I looked down. There was food. What exactly was I supposed to do with that?

I laughed and looked up at Dimitri, who appeared quite smug with himself. He was on the verge of laughing when he saw that I couldn't stop giggling.

"How can you be like that when I'm like this?" I asked. He tilted his head to the side in question.

"You know what I mean! Don't play dumb."

"I am simply in better control of my emotions than you are," Dimitri answered. "It doesn't mean I don't feel them. It doesn't mean that I am unaffected by you. It just means that I know how to hide it."

"I don't like that."

"Too bad. It's just the way it is."

"I'm pregnant."

"_What?_" Dimitri's eyes flared, whole body went rigid for a split second.

I laughed, pointing at him. "See! You're not as in control as you think you are."

He rolled his eyes and stood up. "Get dressed. We have to be at the station in twenty-five."

* * *

><p>Ilianna was a stunning Spanish woman in her early twenties. She had dark, curly hair that went all the way down her back, sultry eyes, and a figure to die for. I could see why Ambrose had pursued her. She was freeking gorgeous, and I had begun to develop and inferiority complex since the moment I had laid eyes on her.<p>

Speaking of eyes, she couldn't seem to keep her prowling ones off my man.

_My man? _Yikes, that sounded pretty possessive. I looked over at Dimitri. We hadn't made anything official yet, but it felt that way. I needed to cool it. Stat.

"Are you ready?" Dimitri asked her, resting his arms against the open driver's window of the supposed "rental" car.

"Yes," replied Ilianna. She even had a sexy, low, _come-do-me-now_ voice. Damn it! Why did God have to spend so much time with this one? He could have given me a little more love—I always thought my eyes had been too big for my face. I also didn't care for my slight overbite.

_Damn this inferiority complex!_

"Just act natural," He told her. "If he gets the slightest hint that something is off, there's a good chance he won't show. That's exactly what we don't want to happen."

"Got it, officer." She smiled charmingly, and drove off.

I stared disdainfully after the car as it disappeared into the night.

"What's the matter?"

"_Got it, officer._" I mocked immaturely. "Did you see the way she was undressing you with her eyes?"

Dimitri shook his head in exasperation. "Grow up, Rose. This isn't the time to be fooling around."

"You didn't seem to think that earlier."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Charleston Falls was a fairly small town in Montana, with a population of right under sixteen-hundred. There was one bank, a diner, two gas stations, and a few grocery stores thrown in the mix. Basically, there wasn't a whole lot going on—so anything even slightly out of the ordinary would stand out like a sore thumb. That's why we couldn't park the patrol cars across the diner where Ambrose and Ilianna's meet up was supposed to happen, which is what I had wanted.

Instead, we were stuck up at the top of some freezing mountain with some cool binoculars watching everything that happened in town. It was amazing how much we could see from here.

"What happens when Ambrose shows up?" I asked, as I kicked it on top of the patrol car. "Are we going to have a race to see who can fall down the mountain the fastest and arrest him first?"

"We will trail him." Ivan answered, busy with some fancy looking technical device that had a scanner.

"We don't want to put Ilianna in harms way." Pavel said, eyes on binoculars.

"Too late for that." I muttered.

"Hold on." Ivan urged, popping the other headphone into his ear. "We've got a call coming through."

"Can it be traced?" I asked Dimitri.

"If Ilianna can keep him on the line longer than thirty seconds, yes." he told me. "But it's doubtful."

Ivan swore in Russian. "_Fuck!_ Twenty-four seconds. Lost him."

That disappointment continued for the next several hours. Ambrose would call Ilianna, Ilianna would answer, and then Ambrose would say what he needed to and hang up in a matter of seconds. It was like winning the lottery but never actually receiving the money.

Eventually the calls stopped coming in and all the exciting stuff that got my heart pumping with hope ceased to exist. Dimitri called it quits at around six in the morning and told the boys to head home. We did the same.

Because I was beyond exhausted the drive to my apartment was silent, except for the few questions I had to ask.

"Why didn't it work? It was the perfect plan." I voiced my thoughts, staring out the window. The sky was a pretty, early morning grey. The trees of the forest were a bright green. I felt sick to my stomach.

"No, it wasn't." Dimitri said.

"Why not?"

"Ilianna completely gave it away with her voice. It couldn't have been more obvious. Ambrose didn't even need have a brain to know something was wrong." he said. "It's like tossing a hook with no bait in the water—you aren't going to get a bite."

"And now we've lost our only break in the case and put Ambrose on high alert, which puts him even farther out of our reach."

"Exactly."

I glanced over at Dimitri. He had his eyes trained on the road. He looked as tired as I felt. I put my hand in his, encircling our fingers. He brought it up and kissed the back of my hand.

"I'm tired." I moaned.

"I know, Roza. We're almost home."

* * *

><p>The next morning I woke up naked under the covers, with Dimitri's warm bare body wrapped around me. That was certainly a great way to start the day off.<p>

"Dimitri…" I groaned, kissing my way up his arm. "I'm hungry."

"Go get something to eat then."

I smacked his shoulder and laughed. "_Dimitri!_"

He grinned and rolled over, giving me a great view of his back. Even relaxed, the graceful cords of muscle were incredible and packed with strength.

"Fine. I'll get it myself, a-hole!" I said, placing a kiss to his neck before I hopped up and pulled on some clothes.

I opened the door and closed it quietly, careful not to wake my best friend in the room across from mine. Something bumped into my back, and I yelped in surprise.

"Shhh!" Lissa said. Her hair was disheveled, mouth swollen, and she had on a fluffy pink robe and bunny slippers.

"Oh, my gosh! You got lucky last night!" I teased. "You got _laidddddddd_."

"So did you by the looks of it." Lissa turned bright red. "Shut up! You're going to wake him up!"

"Who is it?"

"Not telling."

"Oh, come on, Liss. I'm your best friend. Tell me."

"Nope." she said, popping the P.

"Now I have to know." I pushed passed her and opened the door.  
>"I know this has to be someone spec—<em>CHRISTIAN!<em>"

"What? What?" He bolted out of the bed, gun in hand. "What's wrong? Where's Lissa?"

"She's fine. Go back to bed." I barely contained my laughter as I shut the door. "Good choice, Liss."

She had her head in her hands, embarrassed. "I can't believe you just did that. You are _so_ not invited to our wedding."

"Yes, I am." I told her. "Are you heading downstairs for something to eat?"

"Yeah." She jabbed a thumb in the direction of her room. "He's too lazy to get up and make me anything."

"I feel your pain, girl." I hooked my arm through hers and smiled as we headed to the kitchen. This was the most content I had felt in a very long time. I had a great career, a best friend who was more like family to me, and an amazing man that I loved in my life. It was like the missing piece to my puzzle had finally been found. I belonged here.


	14. Chapter 13: No Regrets

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Cop an Attitude...<strong>

_The next morning I woke up naked under the covers, with Dimitri's warm bare body wrapped around me. That was certainly a great way to start the day off._

_"Dimitri…" I groaned, kissing my way up his arm. "I'm hungry."_

_"Go get something to eat then."_

_I smacked his shoulder and laughed. "Dimitri!"_

_He grinned and rolled over, giving me a great view of his back. Even relaxed, the graceful cords of muscle were incredible and packed with strength._

_"Fine. I'll get it myself, a-hole!" I said, placing a kiss to his neck before I hopped up and pulled on some clothes._

_I opened the door and closed it quietly, careful not to wake my best friend in the room across from mine. Something bumped into my back, and I yelped in surprise._

_"Shhh!" Lissa said. Her hair was disheveled, mouth swollen, and she had on a fluffy pink robe and bunny slippers._

_"Oh, my gosh! You got lucky last night!" I teased. "You got laidddddddd."_

_"So did you by the looks of it." Lissa turned bright red. "Shut up! You're going to wake him up!"_

_"Who is it?"_

_"Not telling."_

_"Oh, come on, Liss. I'm your best friend. Tell me."_

_"Nope." she said, popping the P._

_"Now I have to know." I pushed passed her and opened the door._  
><em>"I know this has to be someone spec—CHRISTIAN!"<em>

_"What? What?" He bolted out of the bed, gun in hand. "What's wrong? Where's Lissa?"_

_"She's fine. Go back to bed." I barely contained my laughter as I shut the door. "Good choice, Liss."_

_She had her head in her hands, embarrassed. "I can't believe you just did that. You are so not invited to our wedding."_

_"Yes, I am." I told her. "Are you heading downstairs for something to eat?"_

_"Yeah." She jabbed a thumb in the direction of her room. "He's too lazy to get up and make me anything."_

_"I feel your pain, girl." I hooked my arm through hers and smiled as we headed to the kitchen. This was the most content I had felt in a very long time. I had a great career, a best friend who was more like family to me, and an amazing man that I loved in my life. It was like the missing piece to my puzzle had finally been found. I belonged here._

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

"You're not going to believe this, Rose." Lissa slammed a file down on my desk. "Avery was in the city today and spotted an old friend. Look at what she just texted me."

I blew gently on my steaming cup of coffee. "_Boo. _Go away. I'm dealing with booking right now." I rubbed my tired eyes, cursing when my fingers came back smudged with mascara. I hated it when I did that. "Who knew being such a badass cop would require so much paperwork."

"Just look!" Lissa threw her hands up, practically jumping up and down with barely contained excitement.

Groaning, I opened up the folder and spread the papers out. They were pictures, clearly from a cellular device because they were of such crappy quality. I squinted and blinked hard, focusing. It appeared to be a man with dark hair.

"Lissa, please tell me this is who I think it is…" I lifted my eyes, dead serious.

She slapped her hand against the desk and grinned somewhat wickedly, flashing perfect white teeth. "We nailed him."

I grabbed my jacket, coffee, and holstered my gun. "Let's hit it."

"Wait." Lissa yanked on my arm, stopping me. "Shouldn't we tell Dimitri first?"

I glanced over at his office. Pavel and Christian were there. So were two unlawful, handcuffed men being interrogated. This was a once in a life time chance. I couldn't risk losing it and letting Ambrose slip through my fingers once again. Who knew how long it would be before we got another hot tip like this.

"I'll radio him once we get there." I told Lissa. "If, in fact, this man is Ambrose. We can't be sure yet until we see him for ourselves. Let's bust a move."

* * *

><p>"Turn left up here." Lissa said, tracking the GPS. Despite using the squad cars' sirens, it had taken us over forty minutes to reach the city. Which was complete bullshit. The chances of spotting Ambrose had dropped dramatically, if not entirely.<p>

I pulled in to the parking lot of the convenience store and headed for the back alley. Not wanting to draw attention, I cut off the engine. We exited the car.

"What about Dimitri, Rose?" Lissa said, careful to keep her voice low.

I went over to the back wall of the building and pressed my back against it, peaking out to keep an eye on the surroundings. "I said I would radio him if something happens. We haven't even found anything yet. Besides, we can't be sure that we can trust Avery's tip. She doesn't consider us her friends anymore—holy shit. Is that Ilianna?"

The exotic, dark-haired beauty walked towards a white Sedan, carrying an arm full of groceries. She talked on her cell in a hushed, tight tone. "I told you I'd be there in fifteen. She clipped the device shut and muttered something in Spanish.

"That's odd." Lissa whispered in my ear. "Why is she here? I thought she lived in the country."

"She does. Grocery shopping perhaps?" I suggested, but I did admit it was strange. Who would drive over an hour for only a few things? But then again, maybe she had more in her trunk.

The possibilities were endless, really. The woman could be in town getting a checkup, visiting a relative, or just simply taking a drive to see the city. It wasn't any of our business or right to follow Ilianna. She hadn't given reason to raise suspicions.

Her head snapped over in our direction, as if sensing she was being watched. My breath caught, and we snapped back out of view, hoping we hadn't been spotted.

I watched Ilianna's reflection on the door of a nearby black truck. The woman glanced around for another long moment before climbing into her vehicle and driving away.

"Let's go." I said, jumping to my feet.

"We're tailing her?" Lissa questioned.

"You bet your sweet ass we are." I fastened my seatbelt and waited for her to do the same. Safety first—especially when it came to my best friend.

"I don't feel good about this." She said, unease flooding her face.

"See that's the difference between you and I. I live. You exist." I said, pulling on to the street, several cars behind Ilianna's, as to not go detected. "I take risks. A lot of the time, you're too afraid to open the door and take that first step."

"Not true." Lissa grunted. "I just don't have a death wish."

I narrowed my eyes, but kept focused on the road.

We tracked Ilianna further West, deeper inside the city, straight into the heart of ghetto. The streets were filthy here, ruined with homes with barred windows, dangerous men representing their gangs color, and graffiti covered walls. This was only the day. I couldn't imagine the warzone it transformed into at night.

Once Ilianna pulled in the driveway of a house, I parked several blocks away and cut the engine. She exited the car, grabbed the bags from the trunk, and headed inside the house.

I hopped out.

"Where in the hell are you going?" Lissa said, whisper yelling. "Are you out of your damn mind?"

"Maybe a little. But you still love me." I admitted, keeping my hand on the holster of my gun as I approached the house.

Lissa pressed her mouth against her radio, ready to give information.

"Wait." I stopped her. "Not yet."

She growled.

We went over to the house, doing our best to go unnoticed by hiding against trees and ducking under fences. Once we got near it, I hand signaled Lissa to stay put and cover me. She made a face at me, full of frustration.

I made my way over to the nearest window and tried to peak in. No use. The curtains were dark and pulled shut. The bars gave me no hope of getting inside either, at least from this entry point.

My heart jumped into my throat when a dog slammed against the backyard fence, barking ferociously. I looked at the cheaply made, weak fence, and wondered how much longer it could contain such a vicious animal, especially when it was slamming against it with as much force as it was now. I didn't want to stick around and find out.

"Sparky, shut the fuck up!" I told the Rottweiler. It merely growled in response and unleashed another round of louder, obnoxious barking. It was hard to think.

The front door flew open, and two men with rifles marched out of the house. They looked like thugs with tattoos and wife-beaters on. One of them even had gold teeth. How classy.

"Shit." I muttered, trapped. A couple of more steps and they would spot me. I looked to my right. There was no way I was going into the lions den. Going left wasn't an option either.

Lissa scooted further into her hiding space, gun pointed toward the sky but ready. She shook her head at me, like she couldn't believe I had gotten her into this.

There was a metal trashcan next to the wall. I climbed on top, then hopped on to the roof just as the thugs came around the corner. Close call, I thought, blowing out a breath I hadn't know I was holding. Beads of sweat dripped down my face.

"Killer, what the fuck is going? Why you barking, son?" One of them asked, their Spanish accent thick.

_Killer. _I nearly laughed. What a fitting name for such a homicidal dog. I looked down.

"Who is here?" The bald one was brave enough to pet the bloodthirsty monster. He glanced around, searching. "Tell me where they are."

One of my boots slipped. Debris slid off the roof.

_Shit. _I held my breath, heart pumping so loud I could hear it, and prayed I hadn't given myself away.

"Up there, cuz! Up there!"

A round of bullets rang out in my direction. I looked at the holes in the roof.

"Shit!" I climbed across the roof to the other side and jumped to the ground, injuring my ankle. I ground my teeth together as the pain exploded in my bones, got to my feet, and limped inside the house.

An old man sitting in a recliner chair yelled something in Spanish and lifted his pistol. I slammed the butt of my gun against his head before he pulled the trigger. He sagged, out cold.

I heard a gasp, and turned around. Ilianna was there, huddling in the corner, arms wrapped around herself. "That is my grandfather."

"He's alive." I told her gently. "What are you doing here?"

The stunning woman stared at me for a long moment, eyes flickering back and forth, like a trapped animal. I knew she was about to bolt.

She ran for the door and out of the house. I cursed in annoyance and limped as fast as I could after her.

I reached the threshold, and something hard jabbed against my stomach. I knew it was the rifle, and prepared for the world of pain that was going to come next. I looked into the black eyes of the man, silently pleading. But he pulled the trigger anyways.

The weapon made a clicking noise, jammed.

_Oh, thank you God. I promise I'll start going to church real soon.  
><em>

I clocked the sucker as hard as I could.

Shots rang out around my head as the second thug made his grand entrance, piercing the wall in what seemed like a hundred difference places. He dropped to the ground as I lifted my gun and emptied my clip. One struck him in the chest, and he stopped moving.

Shit. Had I just taken a life? I understand the rule kill or be killed. But it didn't make the situation any easier to swallow.

A heavy weight slammed against me from behind, dropping me to the ground. He turned me around. I thrashed against the man, throwing punches, elbows, and a kick or two.

"You fucking bitch!" His fist connected with my jaw, solid and powerful. I moaned in pain as black spots danced in my vision. He hit me several more times, each blow greater and angrier than the last. I tasted blood. I became numb.

I was distantly aware of him reaching into his pocket. Silver light flashed. He raised the pocket knife high, aiming for my face.

_Pop._

The man froze. Then fell on me in a sloppy pile of limbs. I grunted against the heavy weight, trying to roll him over. Lissa holstered her gun and helped push him off.

_My angel. _"Thanks, Liss. You saved my ass. I owe you one."

"You're a frickin idiot."

"Thanks," I grumbled, standing up. The world spun slightly. For a moment, I was overcome with dizziness.

"Dimitri is on his way. So are ambulances." Lissa informed me.

"Please tell me you caught Ilianna."

"She sped off in her car. I tried to shoot her tires out, but missed. She got away."

"Damn it."

"You're a crazy son of a bitch, Rose—"

"Shhh." I cut her off. "Do you hear that?"

On instinct we both drew our guns and aimed. I heard the distant sound of police and ambulance sirens.

"Follow me." I whispered, heading cautiously down the hallway. "It came from this direction."

We bordered one of the three bedroom doors. I kicked it open and searched inside.  
>"Clear." Lissa said. It was the same for the other one. We investigated the third one and found nothing as well.<p>

"Must have been your imagination, Rose." She lowered her gun. "There is nothing here."

"Wait." I squinted. "Look at that."

"Look at what?"

I gestured towards a rug. A metal handle with a lock was poking out from underneath it, poorly concealed. I went over and kicked it aside. A wooden rectangle was revealed, a door to a secret basement.

I shot off the lock and kicked that aside as well.

"Give me a hand." I said. Lissa and I lifted it together. The wooden door slammed to the ground, causing a huge noise. We looked down. Nothing would have prepared me for what was found inside there. Lissa gasped, covering her mouth.

There had to be more than two dozen women and children crammed together in the dark hole. They were covered in dirt and clearly malnourished. I couldn't understand how that many people could fit in such a small area. They were trapped like animals, helpless and terrified, and some hissed at the intruding light like they hadn't seen any in weeks.

"Holy shit." I said.

* * *

><p>The paramedic finished wrapping my ankle in a protective brace. "That will help support some of your weight so you won't put so much strain on it." he said. "It's only a sprain. It should heal and be back to normal in a few weeks. Just make sure you apply ice and get plenty of rest."<p>

"Thanks." I said, standing up. The FBI was here. They had cleared out the basement and given the hostages food and water. I was still stunned at the fact that half of them were under the age of four. It was heartbreaking seeing how emaciated they were. They hadn't deserved what they'd been put through, they were so young and innocent.

I saw Dimitri speaking with a detective. He was pacing back and forth like a trapped lion ready to attack. I walked up just as the detective and him parted ways.

"You're stupid." was the first thing Dimitri said to me.

"Stop with the compliments already, Comrade. I'm blushing."

"This isn't a joke."

"You don't think I know that? I was almost killed."

"It was your own fault." he chastised, infuriating me. "Not only were you stupid enough to risk your own life. You jeopardized your partners as well."

"We saved lives! I would do it all over again if I had to." I told him. "Don't lecture me right now. I'm not in the fucking mood."

He grabbed my arm when I turned around. "You only became an officer months ago. Why are you so ready to jump into any situation and get yourself killed? You're young, unprepared, and inexperienced. Remember that next time."

I jerked out of his hold. "There were women and children in there, Dimitri! Babies! What if I was trapped in there like some kind of animal with your child? Would you just stand there and do nothing about it like you're asking me to now? Huh?"

Dimitri lifted a finger, then lowered it. He chose his words carefully. "This isn't your fight, Rose. You can't save everyone."

"Yeah, but I sure as hell can try." I shot back in frustration, dismissed him with a hand, and headed for the squad car. He followed me. Lissa was in the driver's side. I went to the passenger side.

"They both lived." Lissa said, referring to the thugs. "We didn't hit any major organs or arteries."

I had to admit that was a relief. I could sleep tonight knowing there was no blood on my hands.

Dimitri leaned down, bracing those thick arms against the car. I looked into his bottomless eyes and couldn't help but melt a tiny bit in the familiarity and comfort they brought me.

"Give me your badge and gun." he said, and my veins turned to ice.

"Why?"

"Because you're suspended for two weeks. Hand them over."

"Are you serious?"

"Does it appear as if I'm joking."

I growled and shoved them against his chest. "I can't believe you right now."

"That's what happens when you break the rules and don't follow protocol."

"What about Lissa?" I asked, hating to point the finger at her. But it seemed like the blame was always put on me.

"Rose!" Lissa gave me a _what-the-hell-what-that-for_ push.

"She was only covering her partner." Dimitri said. "You gave her no choice."

"Whatever."

"Don't pull anything like this again." he said. "Or else you won't get your badge back."

"Who are you trying to protect?" I accused. "What are you hiding?"

"This is way bigger than you, Rose. You might have pissed off some people tonight that you really shouldn't have." he told me, and if it was anyone other than Dimitri, I would have thought he sounded concerned. "Stay out of the way."

"I have no regrets." I said, then rolled up the window on him. I told Lissa to go and she drove off.


	15. Chapter 14: Count Your Blessings

**A/N:**

Hey, guys! Thanks for all of the amazing reviews! You all are great and very encouraging. I hope you enjoy this chapter! See you soon! =)

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.<strong>

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

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><p><strong>Warning: This Chapter is rated M for very strong language and violent scenes.<strong>

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><p><em><strong>Previously on Cop and Attitude...<strong>_

_The paramedic finished wrapping my ankle in a protective brace. "That will help support some of your weight so you won't put so much strain on it." he said. "It's only a sprain. It should heal and be back to normal in a few weeks. Just make sure you apply ice and get plenty of rest."_

_"Thanks." I said, standing up. The FBI was here. They had cleared out the basement and given the hostages food and water. I was still stunned at the fact that half of them were under the age of four. It was heartbreaking seeing how emaciated they were. They hadn't deserved what they'd been put through, they were so young and innocent._

_I saw Dimitri speaking with a detective. He was pacing back and forth like a trapped lion ready to attack. I walked up just as the detective and him parted ways._

_"You're stupid." was the first thing Dimitri said to me._

_"Stop with the compliments already, Comrade. I'm blushing."_

_"This isn't a joke."_

_"You don't think I know that? I was almost killed."_

_"It was your own fault." he chastised, infuriating me. "Not only were you stupid enough to risk your own life. You jeopardized your partners as well."_

_"We saved lives! I would do it all over again if I had to." I told him. "Don't lecture me right now. I'm not in the fucking mood."_

_He grabbed my arm when I turned around. "You only became an officer months ago. Why are you so ready to jump into any situation and get yourself killed? You're young, unprepared, and inexperienced. Remember that next time."_

_I jerked out of his hold. "There were women and children in there, Dimitri! Babies! What if I was trapped in there like some kind of animal with your child? Would you just stand there and do nothing about it like you're asking me to now? Huh?"_

_Dimitri lifted a finger, then lowered it. He chose his words carefully. "This isn't your fight, Rose. You can't save everyone."_

_"Yeah, but I sure as hell can try." I shot back in frustration, dismissed him with a hand, and headed for the squad car. He followed me. Lissa was in the driver's side. I went to the passenger side._

_"They both lived." Lissa said, referring to the thugs. "We didn't hit any major organs or arteries."_

_I had to admit that was a relief. I could sleep tonight knowing there was no blood on my hands._

_Dimitri leaned down, bracing those thick arms against the car. I looked into his bottomless eyes and couldn't help but melt a tiny bit in the familiarity and comfort they brought me._

_"Give me your badge and gun." he said, and my veins turned to ice._

_"Why?"_

_"Because you're suspended for two weeks. Hand them over."_

_"Are you serious?"_

_"Does it appear as if I'm joking."_

_I growled and shoved them against his chest. "I can't believe you right now."_

_"That's what happens when you break the rules and don't follow protocol."_

_"What about Lissa?" I asked, hating to point the finger at her. But it seemed like the blame was always put on me._

_"Rose!" Lissa gave me a what-the-hell-what-that-for push._

_"She was only covering her partner." Dimitri said. "You gave her no choice."_

_"Whatever."_

_"Don't pull anything like this again." he said. "Or else you won't get your badge back."_

_"Who are you trying to protect?" I accused. "What are you hiding?"_

_"This is way bigger than you, Rose. You might have pissed off some people tonight that you really shouldn't have." he told me, and if it was anyone other than Dimitri, I would have thought he sounded concerned. "Stay out of the way."_

_"I have no regrets." I said, then rolled up the window on him. I told Lissa to go and she drove off._

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><p><strong>RPOV: <strong>

"That piece of shit son of a bitch." I exclaimed. "Take my badge and gun away. Who does he think he is? Where does he get the nerve? Oh, I'm just so angry right now I could kill the man."

Lissa pulled onto the highway. She'd been listening to me rant for the passed twenty minutes on our way home. What a sport.

"He has his reasons, Rose." she said calmly.

"You know that really annoys me when you do that." I told her, crossing my arms.

"Do what?" she asked, giving a small laugh.

"Act so in control. So elegant. So unbothered and perfect."

"It's called being a lady," she responded. "Maybe you should try it sometime."

"Lissa, I ought to punch that stupid grin right off your face."

She laughed in a short, loud burst. "You don't scare me. You don't even have a gun anymore, loser."

I rolled my eyes. "You're lucky I love you so much"

There was a comfortable silence for a few moments until she decided to break it.

"Don't be so hard on Dimitri." she said. "He did what he believed was right, and frankly, I agree with his decision."

"Pull over and get out of the car, Liss. You're walking home."

"Rose. I'm being serious."

"Why are you defending that asshole?" I demanded with disgust. "That piece of shit son of a—"

"He only cares about you." Lissa interrupted rationally. "Just please promise me you'll give him half a chance to explain. Don't shut him out."

I pressed my lips together tightly, feeling stubborn. I sighed in defeat. "Fine. But only because I'm horny and want to get some tonight."

"_Ew, Rose!_"

* * *

><p>The bed moved. The blankets stirred. I felt the warmth of Dimitri's presence before I opened my eyes. I groaned and tossed, pretending my peaceful rest had been disturbed, when in reality I hadn't slept a minute without him by my side.<p>

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "This isn't your home. I didn't invite you here tonight."

The lamp clicked on. Dimitri was in his uniform. He began undressing.

I read the alarm clock. "It's nearly four in the morning. Where have you been?"

"Dancing for tips again at the club." he said, kicking off his boots. "It's just something on the side. I do it because I need the money."

He looked absolutely exhausted. I couldn't help but become immediately concerned. This man meant so much to me. I loved him like no other. I hated when he worked too hard, when he stressed so much. I decided to swallow my pride and forget about what had happened between us earlier. For now, at least.

"Come here." I said once he'd stripped down to his black boxers. Dimitri all but collapsed on the bed. I wrapped my arms around him and just hugged him for a long moment, simply enjoying being with him.

"I missed you." Dimitri murmured, grabbing my hand. He placed a kiss in the center of my palm.

"You better have." I smiled down at him. He flashed perfect white teeth. God, I loved his smile. The one he reserved only for me. "I missed you, too."

He turned around and placed his head in my lap. He pressed two lingering kisses to my thigh. I ran my fingers through his silky shoulder-length hair, and he instantly relaxed.

"Dimitri?" I whispered.

"Hmmm." he replied, half coherently. I could tell he was falling fast asleep. I didn't want to keep him up for long.

"You're banned from sex for two weeks."

He chuckled, low and rich in his throat. "Payback, I presume?"

"Yes. You deserve it."

"Sure." he said, dosing off. "We'll see how long you last."

I laughed, running my fingers up and down Dimitri's muscular back. The steel cords rippled under my touch. He melted against me, so comfortable and trusting. If I had it my way I'd be honored to take care of him for the rest of our lives together, always being there whenever he needed support and love.

I turned off the light, pulled the covers over us, and rested against his warm body, knowing I was entirely safe and protected.

"I love you, Dimitri." I told him, but he was already asleep. The instant I closed my eyes I was out.

* * *

><p>I wrapped the plush towel around my body and stepped out of the shower. Dimitri was right behind me. I went to brush my teeth as he dried off.<p>

"What's wrong?" he asked, rubbing droplets of water off his arm.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're taking this entire thing very well." Dimitri said, suspicious.

"So?" I laughed. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes, it is." he replied. "But it isn't you. You have me very worried."

I gurgled the minty mouthwash until my eyes stung, then spit. "No need to be concerned. I've had time to cool off. Rules are rules, and you did your job. I've accepted that." I told him.

He narrowed his eyes, not buying it. "When something seems too good to be true it usually is."

I walked over and wrapped my arms around him, teasing, flirting, placing slow kisses up his neck. "Are you saying you don't trust me, Comrade?

"No." Those dark eyes pierced right through me, but I had succeeded in distracting him. Never underestimate the power of seduction. "I just think you are withholding the truth."

"Nonsense. I'm only suspended for two weeks. It'll be over before I know it." I pulled away and went into the bedroom. "Then officer badasss will be back."

Dimitri gave me a long and hard look until I began to squirm under his scrutiny.

"What is it?" I snapped, annoyed.

"Do you think I was born yesterday? I'm not stupid, Rose." He opened the bedroom door. "I need coffee. Remember that I am keeping a very close eye on you."

"You can extend that no sex suspension to three weeks now!" I yelled.

Dimitri gave a heart stopping smile and slammed the door shut.

* * *

><p>I stepped out my car and cautiously walked up the driveway, heading for the house. I was careful to keep an eye on the world going on around me. The thugs may still be in the Intensive Care Unit, but that didn't mean any of their friends or neighbors couldn't show up and whoop my ass.<p>

I made my way around the left side of the house, steering clear of Killer in case that bloodthirsty demon was there. I tried the front door with no luck. The side door was also locked. There was no way I was going to try the back. I tried the nearest window, pulling on the metal bars. I shook them in uncontained frustration. "Jesus Christ!"

"You know, you really shouldn't use the Lords name in vain like that." A child's voice nearly made me jump out of my skin.

I looked to my left and discovered a Hispanic boy staring at me. He had to be no older than twelve. He had on a white tank top, baggy jean shorts, and black converse sneakers. I noticed a gold chain and cross hanging from his neck.

Oh, boy. I'd probably just offended the entire community. I was so dead.

"Look, kid. I'm really sorry about that. Do you think we could forget about all of this if I promise to never talk like that again?"

"Sure, I don't care." The kid shrugged and bounced his basketball a few times. Then he just stared at me.

I looked back at him.

"Mama says Jesus is our only hope." he said, bouncing his basketball again. "It's hard to believe her sometimes though, you know? If Jesus was really all that great he wouldn't have put her and my brothers in this fucking piece of shit neighborhood, you know what I mean?"

"You need to watch your mouth." I said, shocked such a young kid could use such strong language so casually.

"My apologies, ma'am." he said. "Got a cig?"

I was shocked. "No, punk! I don't smoke."

He stuck out his hand, smiling. "My name's Angel."

"Rose." I took it. "Now buzz off, kid. I have business to take care of."

"Whoa. Chill out, honky." Angel put his hands up. "I'm not trying to bother you, you know?"

"Did you just call me honky?" I exclaimed.

"Does gringo sound better?"

"Smartass."

"What kind of business do you have with Garcia?" Angel pulled a toothpick out of his pocket and pinched it between his teeth.

"You know these guys?" I tried the second window, hoping it would somehow give. Nothing. Same with the third and last available window. I contemplated kicking in the front door, but that would cause too much disturbance and draw unwanted attention.

"Older cousins of mine."

"Sorry."

"No worries, honky."

I glared at him.

"You look like you're burning yourself out there, girl." Angel gave a cocky smile I wanted to slap right off his face. "I don't want you to break a nail. Need some help, pretty little thing?"

"Stop calling me those stupid nicknames." I said. "And yes. Do you have a key?"

"Nope. Give me one of those things in your hair."

"Huh?"

"Bobbi pin."

"Oh," I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair. "Here. Don't tell me you know how to pick a lock—oh you are such a badass. I envy you."

Again with that confident, infuriating grin. "Thanks, honk—"

"Don't ruin the moment."

Angel focused on his task, little tongue stuck out in concentration. I waited several moments, trying my best to be patient, when I heard a little click. The door creaked open. I swear I could kiss the kid right now.

"Thank you! Thank you!" My arms snapped out and I crushed him in a hug. He smiled shyly and blushed.

"No problem, girl."

I headed inside. Angel was right on my tail.

"You planning to follow me around like a puppy dog all day, kid?"

"Oh, you think you can get what you want from me and be done? Typical woman you are."

"All right, fine, come on. Just be quiet and watch your back. I'm no babysitter."

The house was empty. I searched it from top to bottom and turned up with nothing. The area where the women and children were kept had been cleaned out. It was disappointing and discouraging to say the least, but I couldn't stop now.

"Has anybody been here since the raid?" I asked Angel.

He shrugged, tossing his basketball in the air and catching it. "That one fine ass girl came back, but I think it was only to check on her grandpa, you know? She helped him in her car and left. Nobody's seen her since."

"Ilianna?"

Angel nodded.

"Did she used to come around here much?"

"Sure, I guess you can say that."

"How often?"

"Like once a week. She didn't stay very long, though. Just brought groceries and left. It was kind of weird."

"Anyone else make visits like that? Where they didn't stay very long?"

He shrugged.

"Angel, please, I need to know this. It could really help me out. If there's anything you know, just please, tell me."

"A white Range Rover," he told me. "Didn't come here very much. Maybe once a month, if that. It's hard not to notice a car like that here, you know what I mean? Stands out like sore thumb. Anyways, my friends and I used to dare each other to jump in and drive off. Like steal it, you know? But the sucker never once got out of the damn thing. Just kept it running in the driveway the whole time."

"Did you ever see the man?" My heart was racing. I knew who it was.

"Nah. Tinted windows." Angel said. "I think he was giving Ilianna and my cous' money, though, you know? Or maybe drugs. He would only roll down the window enough to give them something and then he was gone."

"Did you ever get a license plate number?"

"Huh? No." he laughed. "Man, you white people are crazy. Always worrying about stupid shit like that."

"Hey," I shot him a look. "Watch your mouth when you're around me."

"My bad. Got a cig?"

"No. Damn, kid. How old are you?"

"I'll be thirteen next month."

"You need to knock that shit off." I told him, reaching into my pocket. I pulled out a fifty and handed it to him. "Thanks for everything. You never saw me."

Angel grinned. "I got you loud and clear, girl. I'll close up for you here."

"See you!" I raced out of the house and jumped in my car.

* * *

><p>I tried my best to be quiet as I unlocked the front door to my apartment and crept in. It was nearly twelve at night. I held in my curse when my shins clocked against the coffee table. I swear those things were designed for that.<p>

The lights snapped on. Dimitri was standing there. He was shirtless and had only a pair of black sweatpants on. I would have thought he was damn sexy had I not had a mini heart attack.

"Ah, shit." I cursed. "Hey comrade, just got back from a little grocery shopping."

"At this hour?" he crossed his arms. I didn't miss the fact that his lips twitched because he was trying hard not to smile.

"Are you kidding? Of course. This is when you get the best deals."

"Where are your bags then?"

"In the car."

"Rose." He used that no nonsense tone.

"Okay, okay." I threw my hands up and dropped down on the couch, exhausted. "I'm busted. Go on. Yell at me. I knew you were following me to the house. I had a feeling I was being watched."

Dimitri came over and kneeled down so we were at eye level. "That was your paranoia, Roza. And that was easier than I thought it would be. I didn't have to do any work to make you confess."

"Ah, shit." I said again, realizing I'd completely given myself away.

"Why would you do that when I specifically asked you not to?"

"Just because you say jump doesn't mean I will, Dimitri." I said. "Besides, I'm alive, right?"

"Your stupidity shocks me sometimes, Rose. It truly does."

I gasped, instantly enraged. "How dare you."

"Do you have a death wish?"

"I'm just trying to help Tasha and Mason. They deserve justice. Have you forgotten what he did to us?"

"You must be out of your damn mind." He stood up straight, towering over me. "I know you're just trying to help. But there's a better way to do this."

"How?"

"With my help."

I beamed. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean I get my badge and gun back?"

"No."

"Oh."

"What did you find out today?" Dimitri asked, taking a seat beside me. He grabbed my legs and set my feet in his lap.

I began to tell him everything that had happened today, including Angel, Ilianna's part in all of this, and the white Range Rover with the sporadic visits.

He listened calmly and patiently to me. I was relaxed by his long, graceful fingers running up and down my calves, massaging, caressing. I didn't think he even realized what he was doing. It seemed to be such a natural thing for him, like he enjoyed having me close, like he was comforted and calmed by my mere presence and touch.

That knowledge made my heart fly like a bird in my chest. It was such an amazing, overwhelming feeling knowing you had someone in your life who cared so much about you. Someone you were so meaningful to. Someone who would always be there for you, even during all the highs and lows.

I smiled and turned around so my head rested in his lap. He instantly began slipping his fingers through my hair, a hard, thoughtful expression on his face.

"What's the matter?"

"I want you to be a part of this," Dimitri said, then paused to mutter something in Russian. "But I can't have you get hurt. I won't allow it."

"You can't protect me from everything, Superman."

"Watch me."

I laughed. "What do you have planned?"

"You will come with me tomorrow. We'll stake out the area after dark."

"Thanks for letting me be apart of this."

"Like you would have it any other way, you obstinate woman," Dimitri leaned down and kissed my forehead, before picking me up and carrying me to my bedroom. "Besides, it's better than having you running out there alone and getting yourself killed."

"That's true." I said as he placed me on the bed. He then began to undress me, starting with my shoes and socks. He handed me some comfortable shorts and a fresh t-shirt. I slipped them on quickly, loving how caring and gentle my Russian god could be at these rare times.

"What are you thinking about?" I murmured, breaking the silence in the dark. We were under the comforter, me tucked in his side.

"Nothing. Get some sleep."

"Tell me." I whispered. "Please."

"Honestly?" he asked me. "That time when I found you and Tasha in Ambrose's room."

I instantly cringed when I heard the words. It was hard not to be consumed by the haunting memories. All the images and sounds of the blood, pain, and screams ran through my mind, suffocating me. I remembered Tasha's lifeless ice-blue eyes just seconds after Ambrose tragically and abruptly ended her life. It was something that would stick with me until the day I die.

"I have to find him."

"_We_ have to find him." Dimitri corrected, pressing his mouth to the top of my head. "You're not alone in this."

"Thank you." I managed to find my voice. "Were you scared when you found us like that?"

"Scared does not begin to describe what I felt."

"What did you feel?"

"Helpless. In those moments when I believed you were gone, I felt like I had lost it all. There was nothing left for me. I had failed in protecting you. I had failed in everything I had ever promised you." Dimitri's voice was raw and gravelly, his Siberian accent thicker than ever before. "Never again will I let that happen to you. Never again."

His words brought tears to my eyes. I swallowed on a huge, painful lump. This was the first time I had seen Dimitri so emotional, so open, so vulnerable. It made my heart burn. "I'm sorry that I put you through that."

"You are crying."

"No, I'm not!" I tried to laugh it off. My voice sounded strange because of my stuffy nose. "There's something in my eye. That's all—oh who am I kidding. Big girls cry, too!"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." he told me, and I stuffed my face in his warm chest. He locked his arms around me and held me my while I cried. He tickled my back, soothing me to sleep. I began to dose off. My eyes were impossible to keep open, like two heavy weights.

"I love you, Dimitri." I mumbled, before everything went dark. I swore I heard him say back, "I love you too, Roza."

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><p>Dimitri, my new partner, and I watched the Garcia house for weeks. We came across absolutely nothing except for the occasional house party the thugs held. There was no Ilianna, no white Range Rover, and no Ambrose. The leads the police station had been receiving had run dry. And to make things worse, Angel and his family had moved from the neighborhood, so I had lost my only source of information and insight. I felt like we were running circles around ourselves. We were right back at square one.<p>

The weeks turned into months and still nothing. It was now the middle of winter. Christmas was weeks away. I wanted to get some shopping in and head home.

"I'm ready to give up, Comrade. There's nothing here." I said, munching on a bag of salty chips. "We're wasting our time. We need to be looking somewhere else."

He lowered the binoculars from his face and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Nothing happens over night. Patience, Rose."

I sipped on some sprite. "Patience while the bad guy is only getting further away from us? I don't think so. What we're doing now is helping him."

"It was your choice to follow this lead."

"I know that, and now I'm telling you it was a mistake." I told him, staring out the window. There was only one light on in the house. Killer was snoozing soundly on the ground near the fence. Damn, I hated that dog so much. The Rottweiler scared the absolute hell out of me.

Dimitri didn't say anything. He just continued to keep an eye on the target through his binoculars.

"Please, Comrade." I whined, pouting. "I want to go home. I'm starved and cold."

He watched me from the corner of his eyes. "Don't stick your bottom lip out like that."

I grinned. "Why not?"

"Because it'll get you in trouble," He was still all business, but it was faltering. Time to break him down a little bit more. I unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed over the seat.

"What are you doing?" he asked as I settled into his lap.

"What does it look like?" I said, kissing his neck. "I'm freezing and want to get warm. I heard body heat is the best way."

I unbuttoned the shirt of his uniform and removed his belt and holster. That thing could be so heavy and annoying and in the way at times. But it could also save your life. I removed mine and tossed it on the empty seat.

When I went to reach for Dimitri's zipper, he put his hand over mine, stopping me. "Don't start something you won't finish," he warned, breathing heavy.

"Oh, trust me, Comrade. I have every intention of doing exactly that." I told him, and there was no turning back. Moments later, we collapsed against each other, sweaty and breathing hard.

"Are you warm now?" Dimitri teased, playfully nibbling on my shoulder with his teeth.

"A little more than warm," I laughed and tensed when his whole body went rigid. "What is it?"

"Get dressed. Now." He lifted me off him and set me in the passenger seat like I weighed nothing. I looked up. A white Range Rover had just pulled in the driveway of the Garcia house.

"Holy shit." I said, buttoning my pants. I looked over at Dimitri. He had already buttoned up his shirt and fastened his belt. Damn, he was quick.

The Rover parked and cut the engine.

I went for the handle of the door.

"_Wait." _It was a stern command, and I didn't dare disobey.

The man stepped out from the driver's side, shockingly, and was met by one of the thugs. I recognized him as the one who had nearly stabbed me right before Lissa had put a bullet in him.

The man who had been driving was wearing black jeans and a dark hooded sweater. He spoke with the thug, keeping his head low and covered. But he made a mistake. He turned around for a split second, like he knew he was being watched, and the shadows and clothing failed in hiding him.

It was Ambrose.

I didn't have any thoughts in that moment. All the training I'd had, all the lessons I'd learned from Dimitri on being cautious and careful, all the instinct I'd had in my body flew out the window. I jumped out our car and ran towards him with one goal in mind: to kill him.

"Goddamn it, Rose. No!" Dimitri yelled, but it was already too late. We were out in the open. And we'd been seen. There was no going back now. Shots rang out as the thug pulled out his gun and started firing.

I dropped behind the Rover, seeking cover. I watched the thug walk around the vehicle. He came around and I swept his feet out from under him. I straddled him and reached for my gun. I tapped a few times, coming back with nothing. Panic settled in. I looked down. Nothing was there. I'd left my belt and gun in the car like an idiot. I was completely unarmed.

Shit. Shit. Shit. _Shittttttttt._

I looked back at the car across the street. It was too far away.

The thug thrashed wildly underneath me, trying to throw me off. I only had a split second to act. I grabbed hold of his bald head, brought it up, and cracked it against the ground. He got knocked out cold. I grimaced, hoping I hadn't killed him.

I was ripped off him. Dimitri brought me near the fence, shielding me with his body. His eyes were black and he was sweating and breathing hard. "I can't believe what you just did," he said. "You are going to get us killed. Here," he held up his gun. "Take it—"

I heard a vicious, raw growl. Killer sunk his teeth into Dimitri's arm and dragged him to the ground. My heart sunk. I knew any second the Rottweiler could get a hold of his neck and kill him. I scrambled for the gun, feeling for it in the grass with my hands. It was dark. I couldn't see shit.

A hand sunk into my hair and yanked me to my feet. I cried out in pain. I looked up into the enraged eyes of Ambrose.

"You fucking bitch," he growled. "Why the fuck couldn't you leave well enough alone?"

"Because you killed your brother and Tasha," I replied, gasping when he jerked even harder on my tresses. It was a wonder he hadn't pulled them all out.

"Some people open their mouth when they shouldn't. It was their fault." He cracked the bottom of his gun against my mouth. I tasted warm liquid and salt. "They deserved it."

"_Fuck_ you."

Something hard and blunt shoved against my stomach. I heard a deafening sound that rang in my ears, and I knew I had just been shot, but I felt absolutely nothing. Maybe it was because I knew my time was coming soon. I heard your last few moments were supposed to be peaceful. That's exactly how I felt. I wasn't scared of Ambrose. I wasn't sad. I didn't hurt. And I wasn't afraid of dying.

I just accepted the situation as it was.

"You may have escaped me once," Ambrose smiled, baring his teeth. "But it looks like your luck just ran out, baby girl."

He raised his arm, pointed the gun at my head, and pulled the trigger.

Everything went black.

* * *

><p><strong>DPOV: <strong>

I barely managed to grab the gun. I aimed and silenced the dog. Getting to my feet, I realized just how much blood I had lost. The entire side of my arm was raw. I knew there were ripped tendons and muscles and broken bones, but I was blessed that the animal hadn't reached my throat.

I heard a shot. A sinking feeling of dread washed over me. I picked the gun up with my good hand and ran to the front of the house. What I saw made my heart drop to the pit of my gut.

Ambrose turned around and came at me. I ended his life with one bullet to the forehead. He fell flat on the concrete.

I dropped to my knees next to Roza and rolled her body over, brushing her curly hair away from her face. There, on her temple, was a perfect entry point. Lines of crimson dripped down her cheek and throat. I brought her limp, cold body into my arms.

"_No. No. No. No…" _I growled, refusing to believe it. "Goddamn it, Roza! You're not fucking dead. You wouldn't do that to me."

With uncontrollably shaking, bloody hands, I radioed for backup and ambulances.

Then I broke down.

"Damn it. You can't do this to me." I begged her, lightly patting her cheek, trying to make her wake up. My vision went blurry and I frantically blinked. I needed to see her right now more than ever. She was so beautiful and innocent it took my breath away. I kissed her forehead and the smooth skin of her cheeks and lips.

"I can't lose you, Roza."

I looked up into the sky as the love of my life lay dead in my arms, and screamed until my lungs collapsed.


	16. Chapter 15: When you're gone

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Cop an Attitude...<strong>

_I barely managed to grab the gun. I aimed and silenced the dog. Getting to my feet, I realized just how much blood I had lost. The entire side of my arm was raw. I knew there were ripped tendons and muscles and broken bones, but I was blessed that the animal hadn't reached my throat._

_I heard a shot. A sinking feeling of dread washed over me. I picked the gun up with my good hand and ran to the front of the house. What I saw made my heart drop to the pit of my gut._

_Ambrose turned around and came at me. I ended his life with one bullet to the forehead. He fell flat on the concrete._

_I dropped to my knees next to Roza and rolled her body over, brushing her curly hair away from her face. There, on her temple, was a perfect entry point. Lines of crimson dripped down her cheek and throat. I brought her limp, cold body into my arms._

_"No. No. No. No…" I growled, refusing to believe it. "Goddamn it, Roza! You're not fucking dead. You wouldn't do that to me."_

_With uncontrollably shaking, bloody hands, I radioed for backup and ambulances._

_Then I broke down._

_"Damn it. You can't do this to me." I begged her, lightly patting her cheek, trying to make her wake up. My vision went blurry and I frantically blinked. I needed to see her right now more than ever. She was so beautiful and innocent it took my breath away. I kissed her forehead and the smooth skin of her cheeks and lips._

_"I can't lose you, Roza."_

_I looked up into the sky as the love of my life lay dead in my arms, and screamed until my lungs collapsed._

* * *

><p><strong>DPOV:<strong>

The polished mahogany coffin lowered into the earth. Family and friends mourned their beloved's death. Countless tears were shed. Some held on to others like their life depended on it, like they would shatter into a thousand pieces if not for that vital comfort and support.

I watched with a sense of detachment as the men filled in the six foot hole with dirt, forever marking this eternal resting place. I thought I would be angry. I thought I would be regretful. I thought I would scream and wish I could have gone back and done differently, just to reverse everything that had happened that one fatal winter night.

But I felt nothing. Numb. Frozen. I was disconnected, like I was out of my body and watching the world occur around me from a far distance.

But I did have one purpose. I was here to repay a debt to Roza. I owed her this much since I'd failed in everything I had promised the love of my life. She deserved to know the man who had ruined her life was dead and never going to bother her again. I was at the funeral in her place, hopefully giving her some sense of closure, since she would never have the chance to see it for herself.

* * *

><p><strong>LPOV:<strong>

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Rose was in her hospital bed and gown, a bandage wrapped around her head. She looked so pale and lifeless…so unlike the vivacious woman I once knew. She was hooked and poked by a dozen machines. Their sounds were familiar to me, like an old song. Every beep was so constant, so absolutely maddening I wanted to destroy each and every one.

Tears trickled down my cheeks. I hastily wiped them away. I needed to be strong. Rose needed that right now. But it was so hard to at times like these.

The white walls had become an enemy to me. They were closing in, trying to suffocate me, blind me. I wanted to scream. How much longer would this pain last? This giant gaping hole in my chest had to heal soon.

I was empty on the inside. It had been hard to find any purpose in my life lately. I had become a complete robot. I did basic daily functions—I showered, I dressed, I worked. Anything to keep my mind busy. But my body was on auto pilot. Christian very often had to remind and force me to eat.

I scooted forward and grabbed Rose's limp, cold hand. The tears came back with a vengeance. They forced the air right out of my lungs. I would give anything just to have her squeeze my hand back.

I had lost my partner, my best friend, my sister. I thought I had been all cried out weeks ago. It was a wonder how tears kept coming ever since that night the doctor had told us Rose was in a coma and it was anyone's guess when she, if ever, would come out of it.

The machines were the only thing keeping her alive. She was nothing but an empty shell. A body without a soul. A vegetable.

I kissed her hands and wrapped them in my own, forcing the tears back.

"Hey, dork," I spoke to her. "I know you can hear me right now. You're just being your usual stubborn self. Don't tell me you're pretending you're in a coma just so you don't have to wake up early for the morning shift."

I swallowed on a painful lump.

"Hey, there's something I really need to tell you. I've been keeping it secret for a while now. I would have let you know sooner…but then you pulled this three ring circus." My forced laugh was full of emptiness. "Just before the accident-" My voice cracked. "Christian asked me to marry him. We're engaged. I need you to wake up, Rose. I need you to be my maid of honor at my wedding. I need you to be here so we can grow old and cranky together. It can't end like this. It just can't."

As I sat there watching her, I was taken back to what seemed like years ago.

_It had been just over a week since Rose had been shot and rushed to the hospital, clinging to her life by the smallest, weakest thread. We had almost lost her, but the doctors had rushed her to emergency surgery. After a seven hour operation and three transfusions to replenish her severe blood loss, Rose had stabilized and was rolled into recovery to be closely monitored. _

_I believed the nightmare had ended there and everything would get better. We already hit rock bottom. _

_I could not have been more wrong. _

_The doctor had carefully explained to me the very extent of damage that had been caused to Rose's body. _

"_There have been cases where the bullet has entered the head and travelled along the outside of the skull." He had said. "This is what happened to Rosemarie. When she was shot, she held up her arm to protect herself. That is what slowed the bullet, ultimately saving her life."_

_I had to take a seat. It was all just too much to hear. _

"_Do you need some water?" the doctor asked, concerned._

"_No, I'm fine." I assured him. "Just a little lightheaded. Please, go on." _

_The doctor continued, "However, that does not mean it still didn't cause damage. It did, we are just unsure of the exact significance and extent of it. That is to be determined as Rosemarie's condition progresses." _

_I nodded, feeling nauseas. "Where did the bullet go?"_

"_You see, this is where it becomes peculiar. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like it." The doctor took a seat, trying to find words to explain it in simple terms. "It travelled along the front…" he ran his index finger across my forehead, demonstrating. "Made a shallow entrance into her skull for some unfathomable reason below her left ear, and just barely grazed her brain." _

"_Is that why she is in a coma?" I was crying again now._

"_Yes." _

"_When will she wake up?"_

"_I am very sorry to tell you this, but no one really knows. It could be today, tomorrow, or a decade from now. It all depends on the patient and the severity of their condition." _

_Hearing that was like swallowing a glass of needles. This couldn't be happening. Not to Rose. She was the strongest person I knew. She could beat this. _

"_That she is alive is a miracle in itself." The doctor said, patting my shoulder. "Count your blessings, darling." _

I snapped back to the present and blinked away the surfacing tears. Before I had the chance to break down again, I kissed her forehead and left the hospital as fast as my feet would take me.

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV: <strong>

Everything was so quiet. I had never been more content with where I was. I was free of all pain, thoughts, heartache, and worries. I could stay in this peaceful darkness forever. Maybe this is where I truly belonged.

Then that familiar voice came to me. It soothed me. It made me feel loved. It made me want to die with the ache and sense of loss it carried.

The voice continued to speak to me, hurting me yet bringing comfort, like temporary arms wrapped around you. It was amazing to listen to, but the hollow feeling that followed was worse than ever being alone in the first place.

"I need you to wake up, Rose."

It was always like listening underwater. The sounds were blurry and broken up, but I clung on to every syllable like my life depended on it. Maybe it did.

"I need you to be here so we can grow old and cranky together."

My heart stopped.

Lissa.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, praying to the heavens she would hear me.

"It can't end like this." she said, and I knew she was about to leave me once more. I couldn't handle it. I needed her here with me.

_Lissa! I'm here! I'm here! LISSA!_

"It just can't."

_Don't leave me here! Please take me with you. I miss you so much…_

My mouth wouldn't move. I was trapped and paralyzed, like I had been cemented. I cried out in frustration, trying to claw my way out of this endless hole. I only fell deeper.

Lissa was gone, and I was left sobbing and emptier than ever before.

I waited for the peaceful, painless darkness to consume me once more. I just wanted to forget it all.

* * *

><p><strong>LPOV:<strong>

"I guess we can finally put this case to rest." I said, handing Dimitri Ambrose's folder.

"I hope so." he said, drinking his coffee. "It never ended the way I had imagined it."

I looked into his eyes, and saw everything I felt.

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Dimitri set his mug down on his desk. "Please, take a seat."

I did. For a few long moments, I didn't say anything. Dimitri raised his brows expectantly, waiting for me to talk. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I miss her too. So much. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her."

He cleared his throat and spoke in a gravelly voice. "I don't think now's the time for this."

"Why not? What's the point of waiting anymore?" I challenged. "It's been eight months since the accident."

"I know exactly how long it's been." He rubbed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Trust me, I am very aware of that fact."

"I know how much Rose means to you."

"I love her so much it hurts me." Dimitri looked down for a long time, a far away look in his eyes, like he was remembering. A small, sad smile lifted his lips. "Sometimes I wish I had never got assigned to her case. Sometimes I think my life would have been so much better if I had never met her. But then I think of everything Rose brought me, all the love and laughter, and it makes all of this pain and waiting worth it."

"She was lucky to have someone who loved her as much as she loved you." I nearly started balling knowing what I had to say next. My throat squeezed tight and dry, like it wanted to keep me from every uttering these next dreadful words.

"I went to the hospital today and spoke with Rose's doctor." I said. "She still has shown no improvement, and he believes the best thing to do now is end her life support."

The look Dimitri gave me told me I might as well have slapped him across the face.

"I know you didn't come into my office to tell me this. I will not hear it." he said furiously, eyes like black ice. "Get the fuck out of here."

"You think Rose would want to go on like this, Dimitri? Like a fucking vegetable? The only thing keeping her alive is those fucking machines. We need to let her go. She deserves her peace. She deserves to rest."

I never realized what it would take out of me to say what I just had. The truth hurt, but we both needed it. I was done with denial. I was done waiting. I was going to get my closure. Rose would always be my sister and I would never forget her, but I needed to move on—at least from this absolute miserable chapter of my life.

"I know she'll come out of this. She has to."

"I just want what's best for Rose."

"You so much as jeopardize her existence, and I'll kill you."

His words were as sharp as a knife, and for a moment, I just stood there, stunned. I stared back at him, processing his warning. I nodded and swallowed on a dry throat. "I understand." I told him and left his office.

* * *

><p>"How you handled that guy was pretty hot, doll." Christian said, climbing into the passenger seat of the squad car. "I'm not going to lie. Huge turn on."<p>

"Everything turns you on."

"When it comes to you, hell yes."

I laughed, pulling out of the police station. "I'm absolutely starved."

"How about some burgers? My treat."

"Gee, I'm touched. I really think all of this money and power is getting to your head."

"I think you need to get to my head."

I rolled my eyes and snorted, turning into the driveway of the fast food joint. "What do you want to drink?"

"Sprite."

"That's such a sissy drink." I teased before placing our orders.

It had been such a long day. My body ached and was bruised from wrestling with a couple of assailants. All of the paperwork and booking had given me a pounding headache. I couldn't wait to pig out, shower, and crash. Oh, how I longed for home sweet home.

I parked, unbuckled, and began to feast.

"You're so mean to me." Christian said, stuffing his mouth full of French fries. "There are nights when I think of some of the things you say to me. I'll just hold my pillow tight and cry myself to sleep."

"Oh, lord, yes." I chuckled. "I'm just a terrible, cruel human being. You must be terrified of me."

"It's true. I am."

I rolled my eyes and groaned when I felt my cell vibrate against my hip. "No more work." I whined around a mouthful of burger, looking at the small screen.

"Who is it?" Christian asked.

"I have no idea. Private number."

"Just ignore it."

"What if it's important?"

"It can wait until tomorrow. You're all mine tonight."

"I can't argue with that." I said, letting it go to voicemail.

"I have you trained so well." Christian gave a cocky smirk.

"Oh, shut your face." I socked him in the arm. "We all know I wear the pants in this relationship."

"Yeah, but who takes those pants off at the end of the day? I do. The man. I'm the boss. But I prefer to be called The Champ."

The phone buzzed with a new voice mail. Christian growled when I picked it up and held it close to my ear.

"What?" I snapped, listening. "It's only thirty-seven seconds long. I didn't answer the call, did I?"

He didn't look pleased but continued to keep eating.

The phone slipped out of my hand, clattering against the armrest. Everything seemed to stop for a moment as my brain tried to process the words. I wasn't even sure I was breathing.

"Lissa? Lissa?_ Lissa!_" Christian demanded, shaking me softly. "What the hell was on that message? What the fuck is wrong? Tell me now. _Answer me, Lissa._"

"It was the doctor." I said, not really registering what was coming out of my mouth. "Rose is awake."


	17. Chapter 16: Secrets & Betrayal

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Cop an Attitude...<strong>

_"You're so mean to me." Christian said, stuffing his mouth full of French fries. "There are nights when I think of some of the things you say to me. I'll just hold my pillow tight and cry myself to sleep."_

_"Oh, lord, yes." I chuckled. "I'm just a terrible, cruel human being. You must be terrified of me."_

_"It's true. I am."_

_I rolled my eyes and groaned when I felt my cell vibrate against my hip. "No more work." I whined around a mouthful of burger, looking at the small screen._

_"Who is it?" Christian asked._

_"I have no idea. Private number."_

_"Just ignore it."_

_"What if it's important?"_

_"It can wait until tomorrow. You're all mine tonight."_

_"I can't argue with that." I said, letting it go to voicemail._

_"I have you trained so well." Christian gave a cocky smirk._

_"Oh, shut your face." I socked him in the arm. "We all know I wear the pants in this relationship."_

_"Yeah, but who takes those pants off at the end of the day? I do. The man. I'm the boss. But I prefer to be called The Champ."_

_The phone buzzed with a new voice mail. Christian growled when I picked it up and held it close to my ear._

_"What?" I snapped, listening. "It's only thirty-seven seconds long. I didn't answer the call, did I?"_

_He didn't look pleased but continued to keep eating._

_The phone slipped out of my hand, clattering against the armrest. Everything seemed to stop for a moment as my brain tried to process the words. I wasn't even sure I was breathing._

_"Lissa? Lissa? Lissa!" Christian demanded, shaking me softly. "What the hell was on that message? What the fuck is wrong? Tell me now. Answer me, Lissa."_

_"It was the doctor." I said, not really registering what was coming out of my mouth. "Rose is awake."_

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV:<strong>

I opened my eyes and blinked slowly, trying to adjust my sight to the blinding room. Then some kind of alien light flashed right in my eyeball.

"Get the fuck out of here," I groaned, shielding my face. "It's too early for that shit."

"She looked so peaceful while asleep," An unfamiliar voice said, "Somehow, I didn't expect her to have such a potty mouth."

I blinked and squinted. It was a doctor with fuzzy white hair and kind blue eyes. He was holding a clipboard and flashlight. Ah ha. So that's what had temporarily rendered me sightless.

"What happened?" I said confusedly, looking around the white room.

Dimitri was standing there, staring at me like he had just seen a ghost. He didn't utter a word.

"Why am I in a hospital?" I asked. "You didn't beat me up did you, Comrade?"

A tear rolled down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly, as if ashamed that he was unable to keep control of his emotions.

"Oh, god. I was only teasing, Comrade. I didn't mean to make you upset—"

"It's not that." He chuckled, and I knew it was forced. "I can't believe you're awake."

"Okay…" I said slowly, feeling strange. My thoughts were blurry, hard to grasp, like I couldn't seem to wrap my fingers around and fully develop them. It felt as if my brain was still asleep.

"I'll let you two have a moment to get reacquainted." The doctor said, and excused himself.

I looked at Dimitri—_really_ looked at him. His hair was longer than I had remembered. Even with his signature brown duster on, he seemed to be leaner than before, like he'd lost a significant amount of weight. Confusion flooded me. His eyes were so haunted, so full of pain and loss it made my heart ache.

"I'm not sure why…" I said, tongue heavy. "But for some reason, I feel like we've been apart for so long…like I haven't seen you in years. It's so strange."

"You're right," Dimitri said, getting choked up. I had never seen him so broken before. "It's been far too long. You're twenty years old now."

"Huh?" I was completely struck stupid. What was he talking about? This had to be a joke.

"You've been in a coma for the past eight months, Roza."

"Huh?" I laughed. "It's April Fools, right? Come on Comrade, stop playing with me. This isn't funny."

But then I looked into his eyes for a long moment, and when they didn't falter in the slightest, I knew he was dead serious. I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to accept the fact that so much time had been lost, but I had to hear the truth.

"What happened?" I forced myself to ask him. The words coming out of my mouth were like sandpaper on a sunburn. "Please tell me now. I need to know."

"You don't remember?"

"You think if I did I would be asking you, Einstein?"

"There was an accident outside of the house we were investigating." Dimitri told me. "Ambrose shot you in the stomach and in the head at point blank range. The bullet was slowed by your arm when you held it up to protect yourself, and that's the only reason you are alive today."

I was completely drawing a blank here. No matter how hard I tried to remember anything of what Dimitri was saying it just wouldn't come back to me. My brain ached.

"Did Ambrose hurt you?" I asked, only caring about him. I didn't matter as far as I was concerned.

"No. I killed him." Dimitri said, raking his hand through his hair. When he lifted his arm, it partially showed his forearm, and I noticed something.

"What is that?" I demanded. "Take off your coat and come here now."

Dimitri listened. I grabbed his arm and flipped it over. His skin was covered in vicious scars and marks from stitches. They looked like lightning bolts crawling up his arm. My stomach churned violently. With shaking fingers, I ran my fingers along the smooth, ruined skin.

"What happened?" I asked, eyes watering.

"It doesn't matter." he said.

"Fucking answer me, Dimitri."

"I was attacked by the dog outside of the house. One of the men let the animal loose."

"Killer?"

"Yes."

I swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry."

Dimitri shrugged, staring down at me, like he still couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You're awake now. That's all I care about…" he said, a wondrous glint to his dark eyes. "You're a miracle."

"Did you find someone else while I was away?" When the question popped in my head, I instantly blurted it out. I didn't care about anything else as long as he was still mine.

Dimitri looked as if I had insulted him. "Of course not."

A wave of relief washed over me. "And you still love me, right?" I teased, my voice a mixture of laughter and crying.

"I never stopped loving you."

I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him with everything I had in me.

"I missed you so fucking much," Dimitri murmured into my neck, his body melting against mine. He held me in his arms like he needed me as much as the air he breathed. "You have no idea. I've been so lost without you."

"I'm here now." I said, sobbing softly. "And I promise I will never leave you again."

"As if I would let you."

There was a small strangled sound. We turned to look towards the door. Lissa was standing there, pale as a ghost, mouth wide and silent.

"Hey Liss…Liss?" I murmured, chin quivering. "Lissa?"

She stared, eyes impossibly wide, like a deer caught in headlights.

"I think she's about to faint—_Dimitri_, she's swaying! Don't let her fall!"

With unnatural speed, Dimitri was over in a flash. He caught Lissa just as her body was about to smack against the cold, hard hospital floor.

Lissa came to about two minutes later. She then proceeded to stare at me again, and when I began talking to her, she fainted a second time. When she came to again several moments later, I instructed Dimitri to bring her over to me before she could pass out a third time.

Sometimes words weren't enough. Sometimes actions spoke louder than any voice ever could. So I did the only thing I knew would convince her that this was real—I hugged her. I embraced her like I had no other in my life.

"I knew you would come back to me." Lissa's voice shattered like glass. "You had to. There was no other way."

I closed my eyes and hugged my best friend even tighter.

* * *

><p>"Did you ever hear me?" Lissa asked, feet tucked underneath her like a pretzel. She was at the edge of the hospital bed, near my feet. We'd been inseparable ever since I first saw her this morning. It was now midnight.<p>

Dimitri was asleep in an awkward position in two chairs arranged beside me. It looked uncomfortable for a man so tall, but I needed him near me. Christian was sitting on the ground, back against the wall, also asleep.

This was my family—the thing I had longed for my entire life. I couldn't have been more proud in that moment.

"I used to talk to you every day for hours and hours…" Lissa continued. "I was always comforted by the thought that you could hear my voice and realize you weren't alone."

I thought hard and long, feeling exhausted from the effort. "I don't know." I said honestly. "I can't remember. At least not right now I can't."

"Maybe it'll come back to you later." Lissa nodded frantically, licking a strawberry yogurt wrapper. I had a feeling she was trying to assure herself and not me. "I'm just happy you're back."

"Me too." I squeezed her hand and smiled. There was a soft knock at the door. The doctor entered the room trailed by two female nurses.

"How are you feeling, Rosemarie?" he asked, smiling kindly.

"You know, for being in a coma for nearly a year, you'd think I'd be well rested." I yawned. "I'm so frickin' tired I can barely keep my eyes open."

The doctor chuckled as he scribbled on his clipboard. "We need to run a few tests, Rosemarie, just to make sure you're up and working properly. Then we'll get you out of here as soon as possible. I know how much you probably miss home."

I looked at Dimitri and Lissa, and smiled. "You have no idea."

* * *

><p>"I really should find an apartment before I start packing," I laughed, filling an empty box with clothes.<p>

"Why?" Dimitri questioned, expression peculiar.

"Because that's generally how it goes," I said.

It had been nearly three weeks since I'd been released from the hospital. I was overwhelming happy to be home and return to my normal life once again. Upon hearing the news of Lissa's engagement, I had been ecstatic and so happy for her. While I still felt that way towards the lovebirds, I decided it was time to move on to another chapter of my life and respect Lissa and Christian's privacy by letting them have this apartment all to their selves.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said. "You're moving in with me."

"I actually already have an arrangement with another Russian hunk." I teased. "I just lied so it wouldn't hurt your feelings. Thanks for the offer, though."

"Hmmm. I see." Dimitri said, lips twitching. "Tell me more about this man you've sporadically decided to live with."

"Well, first and foremost, he's damn sexy. Insanely tall. Long dark hair. Big arms and chest. Plus he has a huge—"

"I think I've got a pretty good idea of him." He gave me a brilliant smile, showing perfect white teeth. He backed me against the wall and pressed his body against mine, pinning me there. He put his fists on either side of my head, caging me with his arms. "You're just a little devil, aren't you."

"For you, yes." I bit my lip. Those dark eyes tracked the movement. He leaned down and captured my mouth. The kiss only lasted a second, but I was left breathless.

"Do you really want me to live with you?" I asked, hating myself for sounding shy and unsure.

"I won't have it any other way."

"Oh," I mumbled, grabbing his face and kissing him forcefully. I pushed him back down on the bed and straddled him, taking complete control of the situation. "You are so getting lucky tonight."

* * *

><p>"You can't force me to do anything," I told Dimitri. "I'm not going."<p>

"Want to bet?" He said, crossing his arms.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "What are you going to do?"

"If you won't come willingly, I will drag your ass out of here kicking and screaming."

"I don't believe you." I challenged him.

Dimitri's eyes glinted, and a split second later, he came after me.

"Fine! Fine!" I held up my hands in surrender, stopping him. "I'll go to physical therapy. Okay? Sheesh! Happy now?"

He grinned. "More than you know."

On our drive there, I thought back to everything that had happened in the past month. Since I had come out of my coma, I had discovered my body and mind weren't the same as they once were. I had some mild difficulties with moving and speech caused by the part of my brain the bullet had grazed.

I didn't have a problem with walking or other simple movements similar to that. It was running and climbing stairs and anything that required my body to move too fast or carry to much weight that I had difficulties with—which turned out to be a huge problem considering my profession. I hadn't been back to work at all, and being in a coma for nearly a year didn't exactly keep you in tiptop shape. All of the hard work, sweat, and blood I had put into the academy was completely wasted.

At times, all of this seemed like a bad dream. Sometimes all I hoped for was to wake up and go back to the way my life was before the shooting. Just erase that dark chapter of my life and make everything better. That way I could bring Tasha back, take away Dimitri's scars, and reclaim the time that had been stolen from me.

I also had minor speech problems, which I was mostly fine with because it rarely reared its ugly head. I discovered only when I became really stressed or frustrated during a situation do I have difficulties pronouncing certain words and ultimately communicating the way I need to.

It was so hard at times like these when I knew I had no other choice but to attend therapy if I wanted to better myself. I had to come to terms with the new difficulties that were now apart of me, and accept myself for the way I was because there was nothing that would change it.

"Are you okay?"

Dimitri's deep voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Fine." I nodded. He didn't look convinced.

"We are here." he said, grabbing my hand. "Ready?"

I took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Therapy wasn't as bad as I had suspected. My therapist was a kind, southern belle redheaded lady named Darlene with a sassy attitude that I adored. I'd found myself smiling and laughing often despite the awful situation. She reminded me of my mother before she had begun abusing drugs.

But even considering all of that, I still wasn't the biggest fan of physical therapy. I treasured my independence and hated having to put it away for anything. _Everyone needs help at some point...even super heroes,_ Darlene had told me, _It'll get better, darling. It always does._

The only thing I needed to do now was keep reminding myself of that.

* * *

><p>I was folding laundry when I heard a knock at the door.<p>

"It's unlocked." I yelled. "Unless you're a burglar. Then fuck off."

"Hey, Rose," Lissa said, popping down on the bed.

"Hey, Liss," I said, matching socks. "Aren't you on shift?"

"Lunch break," she held up a bag of Carl's Jr. "I'm surprised you didn't smell me coming from a mile away. Want some?"

"Sure. Just let me finish putting the rest of this laundry away."

"I need to talk to you." Lissa said seriously.

"Okay, weirdo..." I said strangely. "Go eat at the table. I'll be there in two seconds."

When I got downstairs, food was arranged accordingly. I dropped down in the chair across from Lissa and bit into my burger.

"Why aren't you eating?" I asked around a mouthful when I noticed she hadn't touched her food. "Is there something wrong?"

"Just not very hungry is all." Lissa said, fidgeting with her straw. She was looking down, avoiding my eyes.

"Why are you acting so nervous?"

She took a deep breath, expression flooded with dread. "There's something you need to know."

"Oh, god. You've been sleeping with Dimitri."

"What? NO! Are you crazy? _Ew._"

"Oh thank god." I breathed in relief. "You had me worried there for a second. Tell me already, Liss."

"When you were in a coma..." she paused, looking at me with eyes that had suddenly gone mad.

"Yes."

"We all prayed that you would come out of it. But none of us were sure, not even the doctors. They said it could be years and years." Lissa set her drink down, fingers shaking. "And after so long of you showing no improvement or giving me any signs that you could hear me, I gave up. I gave up on you, Rose."

I listened, feeling a painful lump form at the sight of her breaking down because of me. I hated seeing my best friend in any kind of pain. It simply tore me apart.

"I didn't think I'd ever talk to you like this again." she continued, wiping the wetness from her cheeks. "I told the doctor to end your life support. I wanted it to be done. I wanted all of my pain and feeling of emptiness to be gone."

My heart sunk like an anchor in my chest. I closed my eyes and let the tears fall freely.

"If it wasn't for Dimitri, you likely wouldn't be here today. He saved your life." Her voice was hysterical now. She dropped down in front of me and grabbed my hands, begging for my forgiveness. "I wanted to end your life, Rose. I nearly killed you."

"No." I barely managed to say. "No. Do not say that."

"But it's the truth." Lissa shot back. "Dimitri saved your life. I was going to end it-"

"Get out." I whispered. "Get out of my house right now."

Lissa was shocked and speechless. I startled her when I suddenly stood up, causing her to jump.

The pain in my heart was enormous because of what she'd just confessed. It literally felt like there was a gaping hole in my chest.

"What?" Lissa said.

"I want you out. It makes me sick to see you right now."

"Do you think you can ever forgive me?" she sobbed, crying harder.

"I don't know. I don't think so." I told her. "All I know is that if our places were changed, I would never have even considered what you did, let alone give the doctor the green light. Goddamn it, Lissa. I would have waited my whole fucking life for you. Fuck wanting it to be over and needing closure, you selfish fucking bitch. I can't believe you would betray me like this."

By the time I was done speaking, I realized that I was yelling at the top of my lungs. Lissa flinched.

"I'm so sorry." she was hysterical by now. "Please...just let me talk to you more. I don't want to leave. I need you right now Rose-"

"Get the fuck out." I looked into those glossy jade-green eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, you're dead to me Lissa Dragomir."

I slammed the door in her face, locked it, and pressed my back against it. I cried out and slid down to the ground, wishing I could take back what Lissa told me and forget about the whole thing.


	18. Chapter 17: Gotta be Fearless

**RPOV:**

"I can't keep going."

"Yes, you can."

"Go fuck yourself." I panted, busting my ass on the treadmill. My lungs burned, my heartbeat was so fierce I could hear it pound in my ears, and my legs ached from exertion.

"You've barely ran three miles so far. That's nothing."

"I think I'm dying."

"Don't be so dramatic."

Dimitri ran on a treadmill parallel to me. I glanced over at him. He was wearing black sweats and a gray cotton shirt and he had on his signature no-bullshit facial expression. I noticed he was going at a much faster speed than I was and had clocked in nearly double the miles I had. He had his breathing under control and was hardly sweating—I was, however, the complete opposite.

It was pretty intimidating. I used to be just like him—in peak physical condition, fast, agile. Now, thanks to the injuries I'd sustained and the time I'd needed for recovery, I couldn't even run a mile without feeling like I was going to puke.

Dimitri locked eyes with me, and it was like he could read what was on my mind. He gave me a rare, sweet smile that instantly encouraged me.

"You'll get there again." was all he said, and I kept going.

* * *

><p>Getting back in shape for work was a pain in the ass—literally.<p>

"I can't believe you punched your awesome girlfriend on the butt." I told Dimitri, who was currently examining my left cheek. A nasty black bruise the size of a fist had formed on my skin.

Dimitri gave me a look, and rolled his eyes. "It was an accident."

"Sure it was." I teased, tugging the plush towel around my body. "Try telling that to the police."

A playful look glinted in his dark eyes. "Oh." he said, tucking a wet lock of hair behind my ear. "Is that a threat, Roza?"

"No, not a threat—a promise."

Dimitri's hand suddenly slipped between my thighs, and I gasped.

"Okay, okay. I won't turn you in."

"Have you talked to Lissa yet." Dimitri said, standing up.

Talk about an instant mood killer.

I stood up and started brushing my hair. "You already know the answer to that. Why bother wasting your time?"

"Because she is your best friend."

"That wanted to murder me."

"Rose," he said, all serious now. "You don't know she felt during that time. It was dark and unimaginably difficult for her—for the both of us—to go through. All I'm asking is that you try to put yourself in her shoes."

"I would never even consider the option." I said. "I'm done talking about this."

"You can be such a coward at times." I heard Dimitri mutter as I walked away.

"Excuse me?" I stopped and turned around.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "It surprises me is all."

"How in the hell am I a coward?!" I was beginning to lose control of my speech. It angered me beyond words. I wanted to punch a hole in the wall.

"You run away from so much." he told me. "If things get too tough or you don't know how to handle them...you pull away."

"Fuck off." I snapped. "I've never turned my back on anyone that needs me."

"You're turning your back on Lissa now."

"She turned hers on me first." I shot back. "I don't have it in me to forgive her."

"You need to find it in you."

"The funny thing about betrayal, Dimitri..." I said, "is that it's done by the people you trust. I trusted her with everything—including my life. And she destroyed it. There's no going back now."

Dimitri opened his mouth to talk, but I silenced him by lifting my hand.

"Nothing you say or do can change my mind. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is."

* * *

><p><strong>4 months later...<strong>

"Thirty seconds left. You got this." Dimitri hollered from the sidelines, following along side the obstacle course. "You are on fire, baby."

It was hot outside. I was drenched in sweat. My feet were blistered. My body bruised and cut.

But there was no way I was fucking going to quit now.

I crossed the finished line and collapsed on the ground. Cheers from friends and former colleagues erupted.

I could not wipe the biggest, stupidest smile off my face.

Dimitri's towering form appeared above me, blocking out some of the blinding sunlight. "Welcome back, officer."

"Officer Badass." I corrected. "I did it!"

Dimitri gave a heart-melting smile, stuck out his hand, and helped me off the ground.

I got a buttload of high-fives, hard pats on the back, and hugs from all these familiar faces.

One familiar face stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Congratulations, Rose." Lissa smiled.

This was the first time I'd seen her since the time I had kicked her out. She looked so incredibly beautiful, absolutely radiant. Her pale skin was luminous, her hair golden in the sunshine, eyes like two beautiful shamrocks. She seemed to glow from the inside out.

"Did you just have sex? Something is different and so much more alive about you—holy fuck. Your stomach got big." I exhaled, and met her eyes for confirmation. "You're fucking pregnant, aren't you."

She smiled and rubbed her growing bump. "I am."

"Oh my god." My eyes became instantly misty. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Lissa was equally as emotional as I was. "You didn't want anything to do with me, remember."

"I was being stupid and immature and selfish." I said with a shaky, raw voice. I wiped my nose with the back of my sleeve and laughed. "Sorry I got snot all over the place."

"You haven't changed a bit. You're the goofiest girl I've ever known. You're still so amazing to me." Lissa sobbed, laughing and crying at the same time—such a strange, frantic thing. "Damn these pregnancy hormones are getting to me."

I smiled. "Oh shut up. You're perfect the way you are." I said. "I pretty much missed you a lot."

Lissa's chin quivered uncontrollably. "I missed you too! More than you'll ever know."

I once again stared at her expectant belly. "This changes everything, doesn't it."

She smiled and nodded. "Pretty much."

We stared at each other, and in that moment, I didn't give a damn about everyone who was staring at us or how damn ridiculous we looked. All that mattered was that my stubborn brain finally realized how important Lissa was to me. She was no longer just my best friend. She was the sister I never had.

I ran over and crushed her in a bear hug.

"I love you." I whispered, after just embracing her for a while.

"I love you too."

"You know what this means, right?" I asked her.

"You need to take a shower to clean all that sweat and grime off you?"

I pulled back and laughed. "Nah, that's fine. Your perfect, clean pressed white suit got most of it off for me already."

Lissa looked down and rolled her eyes, smiling. "Thanks."

"This means that you can no longer be a police officer," I told her sternly. "At least until after the baby is born. I will not put my niece in any danger."

"Look at you. Back for less than five minutes and already giving out orders. Some things never change." Lissa shook her head and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "By the way, why do you think it's going to be a girl?"

"I don't think it's going to be a girl. I _know_ it is."

"Oh, and how do you know?" She asked as we walked.

"Mother's intuition."

"But I'm the mom!"

"Pretty much." I shrugged. "Don't ask me how I know...I just do. You and I have always had this special bond thing going on."

* * *

><p>"Why are you throwing away your tampons?"<p>

"I'm not. You joking me? Do you realize how expensive these things are." I told him. "I'm giving them to my friend Mia."

"And why is that?"

"Hmmmm." I hummed. "Well I figured I'm not going to be needing them for the next eight months. And Mia will. So why let them just sit there."

The look on Dimitri's face was priceless. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

I could only smile and nod as such utter joy consumed me. Dimitri's eyes flooded with tears. He jumped like some kind of spider monkey ninja, flew across the room, and picked me off the floor. He hugged me like his life depended on it, and I hugged him back just the same way.

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue up next, my loyal readers! Thanks for being soooo patient with me! =)<strong>


	19. Epilogue: Worth the Fight

Okay, so I had been wrong like double time.

Lissa didn't end up having a baby girl like I'd sworn she would have. My so called "mothers intuition" had been way off. She gave birth to twins. Identical boys.

Now, at two years old, the boys bore a striking resemblance to their father - much to my dismay. Nonetheless, they were absolutely gorgeous with their black hair and ice-blue eyes.

Jesse and Anthony were their names.

As I sat there watching their mother prepare dinner for her beautiful family, I had the stupidest, most overwhelming urge to burst in tears. Not sad ones. But those of joy.

She was such an amazing mother. Such a loving wife. And the sister I never had.

I was so endlessly blessed.

I gave the kiddos a kiss goodnight, talked with Lissa for a minute, and then headed home to my own beautiful little family.

As I drove home, I was left all to my thoughts. I reflected on where I had been, where I was now, and where I was headed. All the years I had spent wondering what my purpose in life was, why I was ever even put on this earth in the first place. For the majority of my life I had believed the only reason was to suffer.

Now I was finally able to see the big picture. Although I wasn't a big believer in destiny, I was where I truly belonged. Where I had always belonged. It just took going through all the bad to really appreciate the good.

I pulled into the driveway of our home, grabbed the shopping bags from the trunk, and pulled my jacket tight. It was beyond freezing outside, but I took the time to appreciate the beauty of the falling snow and twinkling Christmas lights.

Hands freezing, breath making small puffs of fog in the air, I peeked inside the window and caught sight of something that made me pause with my key in the lock.

My husband and my son together. Ivan was rambling something off to his father, talking a million miles an hour like he always did. He was so animated, making sure his daddy was paying close attention.

Dimitri listened intently to our son, glued to every word. There was a small smile curving his lips, the one he reserved only for Ivan and I.

I unlocked the door and walked inside. They both looked up.

"Mommy!" Ivan came barreling over and jumped into my arms. Warmth instantly filled me as I cuddled his small body in my arms.

"Hi, baby," I smiled when he pulled back and looked at me. He was the spitting image of his father, with those dark brown eyes and tan skin. Except he had my absolute crazy personality and curly dark hair.

My husband walked over and kissed me. When he wrapped his arm around me, and I was surrounded by both of them, I wondered how it was possible to love both of them so much. They were my life. They completed me. I would be lost without both of them.

I thanked God for Dimitri and my son everyday because they had saved my life.


	20. Chapter 20

Hey, guys! Long time no see. Haven't been here in a while & I've been writing again. Interested in hearing from me again? Possible sequels, new stories, updates, etc.? Review & let me know! I miss you guys!


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